Have you read Pilgrim's Progress.  Christian wanders along in his search for the happy life as a believer and meets obstacles along the way.

I completely identify with one of those obstacles.  I, too, have fallen into the "Slough of Despond."  My publisher sent a finished copy of the book I wrote.  It is unrecognizable.

The Slough of Despond is where I am having to go back over the original, word for word, and correct what she has done.  She took the main character--a seven year old girl--and turned the child's "voice" into a sophisticated adult.

If the child said, "I cain't," the editor changed it to "I can not."  I want to pull my hair out.  It's like I am having to write the book all over again.  Every "don't" is changed to "do not."  Every "can't" is changed to "can not." 

I have to agree to the changes for it to be published.  So it probably won't ever be published.  Because I will never agree to the changes.

I'm sinking into "despond."

I'm just going to have to put this in the hands of God or I am going to go nuts.  I've reviewed 50 pages and have hundreds of corrections.  And there are two hundred and four pages.

I think I'll have to live to be ninety to see this thing done.  The Slough of Despond is like quicksand.

"In everything give thanks..." not, "...for everything..."