This is the Cave of Revisions. Every writer's cave looks a little different, but this is mine. And it's where I've been all summer. But this week was different – this week, I barely came out.

What is it like in the cave? That's what my friends want do know. What do you do in there?

Short Answer: I write.

Yesterday, I worked from 9:00-4:00. I only got off my couch to use the bathroom and get Diet Coke. I did not: eat, answer the phone (unless it was Margie), watch TV, or hang out on Twitter. All I did was revise. I was in the Zone.

People keep asking if we're almost done, and the truth is… I don't know. It's tricky to figure out when you're done, and sometimes when it seems like we are, Margie and I tear the draft apart at the seams. We haven't done that this round, but you never know.

The only thing I can compare it to is trying to find the right song. You know, the one that expresses exactly how you feel? The one that was MADE for you.

When I read the draft & it's done, it feels like I've found that perfect song. But you're also choosing it for your readers, which complicates things.

So we stick to one basic rule: Don't give readers what they want. Give them what they need.