First Draft's Done. Now What?

Congratulations Is it a rough first draft, or are you pretty happy with it so far?

Well, first answer mccardey's question, but then I suggest letting your book sit awhile—at least a week. You could read some craft books/articles, or read some books in your genre, or try to write something new, or take a complete break. When you reread it you'll have fresh eyes for flaws, and your brain will have had a chance to percolate ideas that will strengthen your work.

Usually when I see this advice, the rationale is that the break distances you from your work, leaving you better prepared to notice and accept areas of weakness. But I find it also freshens me up psychologically. Just today I gave myself a break from the story I'm working on and all of a sudden I'm getting better ideas for it because my brain is no longer in story mode.

And congratulations! It IS hooray for you, and it IS awesome!

Finishing a first draft is always a good feeling. It means you're ahead of the field already.

But it's not exactly errors you should be looking for. It's flow and clarity and structure and readability and story satisfaction. And that means knowing what we are looking for, which in turn means knowing about POV and structure and grammar and being familiar with the requirements of the chosen genre, too.

Pop over to the Share-Your-Work forum (Password vista) and have a browse there. Don't hesitate to try critiquing. Critiquing and discovering perceived flaws in the work of others is one of the best ways of helping us to see the flaws in our own work.

Once the required qualifying post count of 50 is achieved you can, if you choose to do so, consider opening a fresh thread to submit your own opening. Openings are preferable for critique because any issues evident in the opening chapter are usually repeated throughout the manuscript.

And if you really want a scare (Nah- just kidding! ) a peek into what comes next after polishing the manuscript for those seeking trade publication - pop into the Query Letter Hell section of the Share-Your-Work forum.

Good luck,
Kindest,
Bufty

Congrats, Lcarver!

How long did the first draft take you? I'm nearing the end of mine myself -- I'd estimate another 3-4 weeks to reach my targeted 75k words. Mine is a rough first draft (oh god, is it rough!), so the plan when I finish was to:

a) Take a break of a month or two, during which I'll scribble some notes and develop another project I had in mind.
b) Go through my document and fix all the story structure problems. I've left a tonne of "Reminder" type notes, so I'll go through and address those first.
c) In another X months time when I've completed b), open a fresh document and re-write the entire story, focusing more on prose, voice, and characterization. This could take a very long time!

I've no idea if this is a sane approach, but it seems logical in my case. Good luck with your next step.

YAY! Congratulations. Finishing that first draft is awesome.

As you've probably learned, writing a first draft is a different process for everyone. Some people plot extensively, some jump right into writing, some need their coffee mug handle at a 67º angle until 10, then they turn it to 84º.

Likewise, revision is a different process for everyone. What's almost universal, though, is the excellent advice to let it sit. (The length of time is, of course, debatable.)

For me, once I've let it sit, I go in and print the whole thing out and put it in a binder. Then I take it anywhere but my desk and read it with a pen in hand. I mark anything that jumps out at me - questions ("What happened to the baby??) or typos (Travis switched to Tanner here) or random stuff (Setting? Aren't we in Iowa? So why's this scene in Boise?) or timeline issues (last scene was a week after Christmas, we can't be at Valentine's already). I'm not trying to look for anything specific at this point, I'm reading for flow and just noting anything that jumps out.

When this is done, I have a binder full of marked up pages that need addressed. Then I go back to the computer and fix all that stuff.

With my last book, I then split it into segments of about 25 pages to work on. It was less overwhelming than revising the whole novel - I only had to revise 25 pages. You'll learn to play lots of mind games with yourself.

One of my weaknesses in my first draft is setting and detail, so my revisions largely focus on me reading a page and asking myself if I can easily tell where the characters are and what's around them, then massaging those details in. For other writers, their focus is cutting details.

I also run it through Hemingway and ProWriting Aid. Be careful if you do that, though - the programs are great tools that help catch a lot of things I miss, but their judgments are by no means gospel.

I also have a fantastic critique group that is invaluable, and then beta readers.

It's a huge process, but it's so incredibly satisfying. Take your time, learn what methods work best for you, and enjoy it!

Congratulations on completing your first draft! That's a major milestone!

I completed my first draft last week and now I'm in the editing phase. Some people can get most of it fairly polished in their first draft. I don't think I'll ever be one of those people since ideas come to be at all hours of the day or night. I can't just force them to materialize when I sit down at the computer.

Good luck!

Congrats! There's nothing like finishing that first draft.

I'd advise letting it sit for a bit while you maybe work on a trial query letter or go on to another project, then pick it up again and start the second draft.

My first draft became a second - and I'm currently working on the third.

I shared the opening in the SYW forum and am using some of that advice to cut down the word count and tighten up the prose. I know I have at least one more edit to go and there a few sections I need to re-work to improve the flow of the plot (including a change to the opening I posted). I'd really love to start my next project, however that would feel like dessert before the main course to me.

Knowing what I do now, I would suggest (as others have), to do some critique and then post the opening in the SYW forum once you get to 50 posts. It will give you a totally different perspective on your work and whilst it isn't necessarily a pleasant experience to have others point out flaws, it is definitely worthwhile and will save you time in the long run.

Lcarver said:

So I finished the first draft of something I'm writing. I know hooray for me life is awesome, except it's not.
Because I have no idea what to do now.
Do I write it again and just hope the second time is better? Do I read over every chapter painstakingly looking for errors (that actually sounds a bit like fun I'd get to read it again and it's a good book). Do I type it up all over again and see if any errors pop out to me?
Where does the editing process begin? Because I'm worried if I do it wrong I'll end up with a third draft that looks just like my first draft and it won't have improved.

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Don't worry: there is no wrong way to do things. It depends on a lot of factors particular to you and the WIP. First thing to do is to give it some space and give your brain some time to think about it. Then consider what your draft may need. You might go back and dip in, you might skim the whole thing, you might decide to re-read. Or maybe you can determine what needs to be done without revisiting the ms. You need to determine whether there will be major changes to the plot. If so, you'll want to put off the painstaking chapter-by-chapter. Make sure you have the story you want before refining the details, because you might end up with wasted effort. Then again, you might have to do a painstaking chapter-by-chapter to really see that some plot point just isn't working and needs to be changed.

It's a lot of give-and-take, at least for me, like shaping and reshaping a sculpture until it's just right. I often find myself mentally looking at the story from various angles and saying, "No, that's not quite right, let me rework that." A little here, a little there. I don't really have set "drafts". How you handle the revision stage is going to be based a lot on how you work.

First congtrats for doing your first draft!
I haven't gotten that far yet but a friend of mine has published several novels and I've learned a lot from her. Once she has finished her first draft or rough draft, she puts it aside for at least six months and works on something else. This helps her to forget that book and come back to it with fresh eyes. She writes a fresh draft on something totally different. Then once that's done she returns to her first. She first just casually reads it looking for the very basics.
Did she enjoy it? Did it hook her? How did she feel about the main character? Was it clear or where parts rushed and muddled? Any weak chapters? Did it flow well and was it well structured? Was the ending satisfying? Then she irons out any weak or poor chapters and gets those up to the standard of the others. She doesn't re-write her entire manuscript if she doesn't need to. If it is all ready ok she just leaves it alone. This stage doesn't take her long because she's a professional and puts her time into planning to entire there are little structural mistakes. But this period can take years. Your basically ignoring tech stuff like grammar and focusing on enhancing story, character, setting and theme; this may require huge re-writes for some people.

Once she covered the basics she begins line editing. Correcting grammar, publication and sentence structure. Once it's a good as she can make it she open it up to beta readers. In this time she returns to her second novel and repeats the progress. She gathers her beta reader information, but doesn't read it yet. She takes a few months off, then comes back and reads her beta reader comments. This break before she reads those comments makes her less connected and emotional about her script, so she takes in the information rather than feel upset about it. She makes necessary changes then she sends it to her reading partners. After that her edit gets it and he makes changes. She is constantly churning work out so her pacing is faster because she gets a professional proof-readers with her publishing house.

Everyone has a different process for writing, editing, and publishing, so there really isn't any right or wrong way to get the job done.

What follows is just my POV and opinion.

Trade publishing is a lot different than self publishing. If you're trade publishing, you probably only need to get your novel to the 'not awful' stage, because the publishing house may have their own editors.

I self publish so...

There's a lot more to editing than just grammar and syntax - there's continuity, pace, character verbiage, mood, eliminating extraneous BS, and a ton of other stuff. There are books out there that help, but the best way to learn is to just do it.

You'll do a lot more than one editing pass. I went through my second novel 18 times before it was right... my last one only 8.

I only let my novel sit idle for a few days - a week, maybe 2 at most. That's just my personality though, I can't stop working on it because the story screams at me until it's done and out there.

Take notes as you edit - especially during your early passes - Joe can't stab Frank with a knife he didn't pick up in a previous scene. It's best to not have characters with too similar names. Different characters speak differently, use unique phrases, and have different body mannerisms.

Make sure your readers know who's talking in dialogue.

Watch for over used words.

Describe scenes and people in a way that communicates the mood.

There's a lot more, but I think I've said enough.

indianroads said:

Everyone has a different process for writing, editing, and publishing, so there really isn't any right or wrong way to get the job done. What follows is just my POV and opinion.
...
You'll do a lot more than one editing pass. I went through my second novel 18 times before it was right... my last one only 8.

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Amen to the "Everyone does it differently" point.

You may find that after you've written a few books you rewrite less and less. I for instance no longer rewrite anything. I get it right the first time - all the tiny things and all the big things.

But that near optimum situation came through MUCH rewriting. Much learning of what I typically do wrong and much learning of what I typically do right. Or maybe I should say my subconscious learns. The conscious process is that I get an idea for a story and I sit down and write it. The story flows out onto the virtual page with little effort. It's fun and exhilarating. My first Orphan book took seven weeks of nearly 24/7 work. (Nice to be retired and having few family/friend obligations!)

That easy-flow situation remained the same for the next two books: they wrote themselves in just a couple of months. But then one morning I was coming awake and an idea for a sequel to the first Orphan book came swimming out of the night. I hurriedly got out of bed, fixed breakfast, and set to work. This one was done more slowly. I'd write a scene and have to pause to let the next one present itself. (Meanwhile I'd work on another project, something non-literary, studying French or learning to read music or learning the piano.)

The second Orphan book eventually birthed itself to a happy result. But now a second sequel insists it must be written. This one is taking even longer. But (knock on wood) at the halfway point I see the end in sight. And much to my surprise, I find that in the three books (though complete in themselves) a large story arc has come into being. Much surprise. The trilogy will actually be a complete singular work. Three stories and at the same time one larger story.

But none of this would be possible without that first book or three and all the rewriting that went into them.

A few days after the previous post I spent a morning on book three of my current trilogy. I began to realize that I'd misspoken in that post. I DO rewrite. It happens as I write, while catching my breath between stretches of writing.

I re-read the last two or three pages and it immediately becomes obvious that the text needs fine-tuning. A few words could be better chosen, sentences could be shorter, a stated fact doesn't quite fit all that came before, and so on. I fix those problems and launch into the next stretch of writing.

The overall structure never needs work. I think my subconscious is constantly monitoring the emerging structure and guiding what comes out of it onto the page.

Lcarver: Congrats on the new book. Something special happens after you finish that first book; you learn that you are capable of writing a book. It's no longer that thing that other people can do and you can't. Now you're one of those people. Welcome to our merry band of weirdos.


The first thing I do with a book is read through the whole thing. Not editing, not proofing, just reading it aloud in my head. Reading aloud is better. Read the thing, get a feel for how it is paced, how the characters feel, get an impression of what you have written.
Then think about that for a day or so, and come back and begin editing when you decide what you wanna do to it.


There was also a mention of query letters, with the proviso of doing it as fun. This I agree with, with the proviso.
Not to be indelicate, but the first 200,000 words are really just practice. Until you have racked up those miles, you are still learning the craft.
You wouldn't walk in off the streets and race Mark Phelps. You'd spend years training, learning, and preparing.
Writing is the same. 200,000 words is approx. a bachelors degree in the field. Unfortunately, the competition all have Masters & PHDs.
So If I were you, I'd just enjoy writing and perfecting your skills until you are a Jedi master.

Many a writer will tell you they regret publishing that first book.
I had to change my name and move to another state because of mine.
I'm not kidding.

Ralph Rotten said:

Many a writer will tell you they regret publishing that first book.
I had to change my name and move to another state because of mine.
I'm not kidding.

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I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, but if you ever do feel inclined to share . . . please!