Folks, if you have to struggle to "legitimize" a grid entry, that should be a red flag to you. I know how it happens: you've put a lot of work into a grid, you find you've painted yourself into a corner, and you see that if you can't use this or that "less than ideal" entry, you're going to have to throw away a lot of work. And if you're new at construction, it probably took you a lot more effort to get to this bad-entry point, so you really are quite reluctant to back up and start over.

But backing up, however far, is what you have to do. If you want to progress in this business. However painful it may be to you, you have to learn to set firm standards for yourself, and be prepared to tear things up quite often. And as you get better, you raise your standards. Then, as more and more editors recognize the consistent quality of your work, you begin to gain access to the better markets, to the better opportunities. E.g., you're sought out for special assignments. Working hard to continually improve the quality of your work -- and to understand what quality really is -- will pay big dividends over time.

- Bob