My writing process typically looks like this:

1. Write the first draft in a spurt of inspiration, usually caused by a 90 minute timeline, although I do write stories independently of the flash challenges sometimes.

2. Sit on it forever OR rewrite into a decent length.

3. Post it for critiques. I normally do this the instant after I hit save after getting to the end of the story.

4. Receive insightful critiques that tell me lots of things I never noticed about my work, and which causes me to rewrite.

5. Lather, rinse, repeat. That is, each new draft gets new critiques that make sense and would make the story better, causing me to rewrite again. Then more crits and more rewriting. I ask new people on each draft usually, which may be why I get so much new info each time.

The end result is that nothing gets out the door. I know that at some point you're supposed to say "Enough!" but I really do get some great crits from people I trust. And once I know a way to improve my story, I feel I would be doing myself a disservice to not fix it before I put it in the mail.

Beth makes some good suggestions along that line. I think that if you start forcing yourself to submit and set guidlines for yourself, even as painful as it might be, you will become more comfortable with submitting what is, in your mind, an imperfect story. After all, no story is ever perfect for everyone. The most you can hope for is that most readers enjoy it.

Another thing I would suggest is to never miss a self imposed deadline, no matter how bad you think a story is. This is especially true about a contest like WOTF. Being rejected there doesn't mean a thing, since the judges aren't supposed to know who wrote a story unless you win, or they do a critique on it. For WOTF entries, there is absolutely no risk, so you should always force yourself to send an entry every quarter, even if you think the story won't win. Forcing yourself to submit will make it easier over time to accept the imperfections in a story.

I'd recommend taking whatever "finished" draft you have and submit it to WOTF or whatever other contest you're interested in by the deadline. Leave the submitted draft alone (except for maybe separate ideas in another document, or on a printed copy of the draft) and wait for WOTF/contest response. Meanwhile, work on something else.

Ultimately, you have to have faith in your story, and you have to remember that YOU are the author. It isn't a matter of writing by committee. Some people won't like it your way and would do it differently themselves, but ultimately you have to be able to reject crits as well as accept them.

For instance : only take certain number of critiques. Once you've assessed the feedback and the adjustments are done, send out a second round for review to the same group. Avoid adding new critics. This time target your requests, ask them only for comments on specific things rather than 'whole content'. You may decide that you want comments from them ONLY on the adjustments you made according to their initial comments. In other words, ask specific questions. Once these final comments are received and relevent comments implemented, consider the piece approved.

I wish I could slip in a graphic here, but I can't so I will try to explain.

The critical process could be represented as a triangle, with the base being wide and taking in as much as you want, but as you progess and ask for subsequent critiques the focus should narrow taking you toward a finer and finer point until it reaches the 'effective vs perfective' threshhold were you say enough -- its done.

HOWEVER, many people approach the process in the opposite way. They turn the triangle on its head starting with a relatively narrow focus and allow the process to progress toward an expanding horizon. Focus should always narrow as you progress. If it broadens then the process becomes constipated — chock-full, painful, a little desperate and in the end bearing only... shall we say meagre results.

1) Write, post for critique, and work on something new.

2) Finish and post the new one for critique and go revise the old one, then ship it.

3) Start something new and repeat step 2.

Remember what Leonardo said:

My process used to be quite similar to yours. Now it's:

1. Write, slowly, think, ponder, write some more, think, take it easy, put out a first draft that's close to what you want it to be, one that you feel might be nearly ready to send. It makes it easier both on you and your critiquers. The critiques are less overwhelming, IMO, for both.

(I've come to be a non-believer in the 'just write it and get it out of your system' kind of writing, but that's a personal thing, maybe)

2. Send it out for general critiques, like at Hatrack.

3. Revise based on the stuff from the critiques that felt right.

4. Send it back out, on a request-only basis, to a few trusted people to see how you did no the revision. These can be totally new people who did not read the first draft, or they might be one or two people whose critiques were particularly helpful or sensical, or both (the latter being my vote). Unfortunately I've only been able to try this method out once, but I liked it. Waiting to see the results. *Crossing fingers*

(And for those of you who are pouting because I didn't ask you, it all happened quite by accident, and if I ever get another story ready for critique I'll be picking your much-revered brains)

Short stories have varied less, with longer arcs affecting a greater number of stories. Right now I write something, sit on it for several months, then rewrite and retype it again from top to bottom, and then either send it out or sit on it again. I've got three complete stories somewhere in my files waiting for me to take another crack at them. (I hope to get to one of them, or something else, real soon...it's been a month and a half devoid of writing above the level of these posts.)

Late as two years ago (my oft-mentioned "Internet Fan Fiction" period), I was writing differently...writing drafts, pasting the draft in another file and revising that, then sending that out.

You don't have to stop asking for crits and trying to improve unless you sell the story. Even if you do sell it, it's often not too late to offer a few revisions and let the buyer decide if they work.