This week, I completed the first draft of my second book. At just over 93,000 words, it took me the majority of 2021 (and a bit of 2022) to write it. Finishing was a strange experience. Whereas after completing the initial draft of my first book (The Madness of the Faithful – coming July 28th) I was elated and celebrated my achievement, this time around, I turned off the laptop and went to bed.
Why is this? Firstly, sure, the second time isn’t going to be as special as the first. However, more than this, the main reason for the muted celebrations was because I saw it as a milestone – and an important one at that – but not the ultimate destination of my journey.
After taking one book to completion, I realized, writing the first draft is like writing a framework for the final story. The key elements and components may be there, but there is so much work to follow. The opening will evolve; characters and their arcs will be further developed; style will be toned; descriptions will be changed and made stronger; dialogue will be improved and made more realistic; internal story logic will be refined and reworked where needed; tension and pacing will be enhanced; overarching voice will be fine-tuned to be clearer and more distinct; themes and motifs will be shaped; and – breathe – the conclusion will be turbocharged to end the story with a boom. Also, I’ll probably end up killing a chapter (and character?) or two along the way.
How will this all happen? Well, there may be alpha and beta readers; developmental, line and copy editors; and, proofreaders. Also, I will likely read the manuscript many times over the coming months (NB: this is one of the reasons why you should write a story you like – you’ll end up reading it several thousand times while it is being revised). Put all together, there is still a lot of work to do. The first draft is a critical first step, but it is just that – the first step in a long journey where challenges are faced and puzzles are solved. The first draft excitement may be gone, but it’s been replaced by stronger, deeper feelings of anticipation and satisfaction. This is when things really start to get interesting. Happy travels, everyone.
