Last time I talked about assessing my course policies, but it applies outside of school. Assessing what works also has to take place in stories. This one is harder to do, but I feel I've gotten better at it. Turning an objective eye on a story is tough, but an absolutely essential aspect of writing. I feel like I've been gradually overcoming the need for purple prose, and finding a simple elegance in the language. Making sure that the story moves along is getting easier, too. Something a little more difficult is deciding what kind of foreshadowing to leave for future books. I like leaving loose ends and clues that will pertain to future stories, but sometimes they can feel extraneous. But then, it's all part of the process of what to keep and what to kill.