Final rewrite doesn't mean no changes.

So I'm incorporating Bren and Lara's revisions.  Combining the best of both.

There are spots that Bren points out don't work.

So I'm dealing with them.

For instance, the mustering of the search party.  She found it boring.

So I had two choices -- either cut it, or make it interesting.

At first I cut it, then I tried to make it interesting -- by delineating the characters more.  Giving them more personality, including more plot points.

I think it worked.  I passed it by Bren, and she agreed.

Then she thought that I 'told' about the plight of the Indians when I could cover the same ground by a conversation, so I did that.  Again, it strengthened the characterizations in the process.

This along with the regular stuff of better wording, which is what I thought I'd be dealing with this draft.

I've already arranged for a final copy-edit by Lara, so I feel safe in making the changes.

I'm still learning a lot by this process.  Bad habits, if pointed out often enough, can be corrected.

I'm proud of myself for making the effort.  If there is a problem I try to address it.  No sloughing it off.

The only thing I'm not changing is the love story between two of the characters that Bren didn't like, but which I do.

But in everything that I feel that she has a point, I'm working hard to address that point.

It does makes the book better, and that is the whole point.