Writing and publishing is like pregnancy and childbirth

WARNING: If you are squeamish about writing, publishing and/or childbirth, you may want to skip this blog.
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Writing and publishing is like bringing a child into this world. Conception is the most fun. And the rest is work, pain, and waiting. When the initial idea for a story develops, I'm thrilled and can think only about plots, subplots, characters, and researching my idea. Then I have to do the rough draft which is painful for me. There are days when the story flows, but most days require me to sit down, concentrate, and write until I've fulfilled my word goal. Most of the time I'm thinking that I'm a horrible writer, that I have no idea what I'm doing, that the story will be awful. Then when I'm finished with the rough draft I'm pleasantly surprised by some of the writing. I love revising most of the time. Some days  I have to make myself sit down and work, but then I get into the story and the characters and it's like working with a puzzle; I can manipulate it until all the pieces fit. Once the story is edited many times with the help of my awesome writer's group, I submit  to an editor and/or agent, thinking it is as close to a perfect baby as it can get. That's when I start dreaming about my baby and the way my life will change when the baby is brought into the world. But then it's a waiting game. Unlike a baby, there's not a due date. Although with a baby the due date is never accurate and there's a lot of wondering and false labor.  So, any day now I'll hear from an editor and/or agent and it will be good news or bad news. A suggestion for revision or recommendation to submit to someone else or a flat-out rejection. Someday when I know the due date of my book, I will be able to share the thrill of publication. For now, I know that aside from conception, when that baby is pushed out and lying on my belly, there's no greater joy.