Revising is often necessary to improve the quality of your writing. Nonetheless, there is always a moment in time when you should stop revising. The question is, how does one know when to stop? Although I’m probably guiltier of over-revising than the typical author, this is also the very reason I am consummately qualified to offer the following tips for your consideration:

1)      When you have changed perfectly good prose into meaningless drivel three times in a row, stop revising.

2)      When you have introduced multiple spelling and punctuation errors into a previously flawless paragraph for no discernible reason, stop revising.

3)      When you have cut and pasted text into the wrong chapter, stop revising.

4)      When it takes more than fifteen minutes to realize that you are revising a published book instead of your current manuscript, stop revising.

5)      When you are excessively fascinated by the majesty of your Thesaurus and discover that you have changed the same word to a different word then back again more than three times in a single writing session, stop revising.

6)      When you are overcome by laziness and actually accept one of those absurd MS Word grammar suggestions, stop revising.

7)      When you introduce a new character doing something completely unrelated to the storyline for the sole purpose of increasing word count, stop revising.

8)      When you introduce anything else for the sole purpose of increasing word count, stop revising.

9)      When excessive tingling interrupts your reverie and you notice that both legs probably fell asleep a long time ago and you can no longer walk without assistance, stop revising.

10)   When you have to go to the bathroom but are holding it by squeezing your knees together until you finish just one more revision, stop revising.

11)   When the plane to Quebec City to catch a cruise ship leaves in two hours and your spouse is walking out to the car with her luggage but you think you still have time to squeeze in a few more revisions before leaving, stop revising.

12)   When the publisher begs you to stop revising, stop revising—but only if the begging is adequately sincere.

This list is strictly based on my personal experience as an author over the last 20 years. I welcome the thoughts of other authors because I cannot escape the feeling that my list is not nearly complete. Please let me know what you think.