Complications

Now that I've endured some real criticism of my story, it really made me step back and take a look at the novel as a whole. And there is a lot of sloppiness, to be sure.

Truthfully, there aren't any gaping plotholes (which I am grateful for) or unrealistic characters or stale writing. A big problem is that it's too wordy. I talk too much, a fact which many can attest to, and so, thus, I write too much. That wouldn't be bad but I'd argue that at least 30% to 40% of what I've written is kind of unnecessary.

So I've obviously gone back to the drawing board, back to the beginning to see what works and what doesn't, but now that I've gotten through the "untouchable" stage with Blood Pledge, the stage in which everything must stay the way it is to preserve how 'finished' it is, pretty much everything is up for cutting. I cut 10 pages from it not too long ago (like 10,000 words, friends) and while I bite my lip at the loss, I don't know if it's worse off. Or better off.

I'm quite confused right now...