Constructive Editor

I started reading Thanks, But This Isn't For Us last night, and it's the best book on writing that I've encountered so far.  I like the fact that the author ditches the tone of positive encouragement that a lot of writing-aid books offer, cuts to the chase and smacks you around a little.  Gone is:

• "Let's get motivated to write! Yay!"

replaced by:

• "Let's get motivated to write and write and write (and write) until you're good enough to have a shot in hell at getting published, because at the moment, you're an amateur and probably suck in at least one of these many ways!"

Yeah, it sounds bad, but the advice is helpful and direct.  I suppose that I might feel differently if the book advised me that my entire plot structure was crap, rather than just that I need to fine-tune specific areas.  Glad I managed to muddle my way into a proper three-act story arc. Whew.