Replacing an OK book with a Good book.

I've been struggling with Faerylander for 4 years now.

I finally had a version that I thought was workable.  I mean, everything made sense.

I like the writing, the characters, the whole basic idea.

But the plot has always been a mess, and all I've been doing is tidying up around the edges, making it acceptable.

Here's the thing.  So far, I've been surprisingly mature about what I've published.  I haven't put books out until I thought they were worth reading.  If I had doubts about them, I put them aside.

But the problems with Faerylander seemed unsolvable.  I could make them better, I could make them almost good enough, but I couldn't fix them.

I'd re-written it so many times, I was having a hard time seeing it.  So this last go around solved most of the worst problems, and yet...I knew the plot was still a problem.

But it was "good enough."

I have two sequels which are good, no problems.  But I can't put them out until Faerylander is out.

So I thought, enough is enough.  This is the version.

So I send it to my editor and two beta readers last night.

I'm in bed and I ask myself a simple question.  How would I fix the last lingering problems.

And Boom.  The solutions just started flowing, and they continued this morning.

They require completely rewriting half the book.  In the end, Faerylander will have had every single chapter of the first draft gone, pretty much, or so revised as to be unrecognizable.

But I just can't let go a book that isn't ready go out.

This will replace an OK book with a GOOD book, and that's worth the effort.

I just wish my scumbag brain could have given me these answers before now!