Speaking personally, impatience is the writer’s enemy. A rush to publish something can result in showcasing shoddy work. At the other extreme, aiming for perfection can prove detrimental; you have to put your work out there eventually. Whether or not you publish your work, anyone who puts in the effort and completes a novel should feel proud. Writing is like climbing a mountain barefoot in the snow while avalanches crash down, and those are the good moments.

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