There is a special period in the life of a piece, where you've completed the first draft and are super-proud of yourself, but you know deep down the work is in no condition to be shown to an outside party. How on earth do you begin the drudgery of editing your own work before you show it to somebody else? Lee Masterson at Absolute Write has a handy dandy list of edits to do to polish up your piece without going nuts (and going through too many red pens.)