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When Orchids and Stone debuted, the local news paper asked what I was working on at the time and how it was going. Well, I was deep into rewriting The Measure of the Moon, and I shared my desire to cut at least ten thousand words out of the novel. The reporter was surprised; I was determined.

And then I cut ten inches of my hair off and shipped it to Locks of Love. (They require donated hair to be uncolored, and of course, not gray. I’ve a touch of gray at my temples. Once the gray gets into the length, I will no longer be able to do an every-five-years donation to this worthy cause.)

Here’s the thing: You’ve grown this story and you’re attached to it, but you must be brave enough to cut it. Make every word work when revising your manuscript.
Don’t be afraid to cut it.