The Small Steps It Takes To Finish Your Novel After The First Draft

Congratulations on finishing your first draft! You've made it further than over 50% of writers who attempt to write a novel! 

But the work isn't done yet, and some say that the real work has only just begun.

So now that you've finished off that first draft - what do you do now?

Take A Break 

You deserve a break after all the hard work you've done, but taking a break actually means more than that. 

Before you jump headfirst into the revision process you need to put space between you and that first draft before you start editing it so that you can come back to it with fresh eyes.

Before you begin the revision process keep your eyes off of your completed draft for a minimum of two weeks, or even better, lock it away in a draw and set a calendar reminder for a few months from now. 

Use the time in between to start another project or return yourself to life outside of your writing desk. 

This way you'll allow your mind to completely forget that first draft until that reminder goes off and you'll be able to evaluate it as something brand new to you and allow you to be more objective in the next step.

Read and Evaluate

The best advice I have ever been given when it comes to editing is to print out the first draft.

If you read your draft in your word processor it can be all too tempting to begin editing it right from that first page as you begin your read-through. 

Your edits will be much more effective if you allow yourself to read through the draft as one whole uninterrupted process. marking it up with notes, lines, and diagrams for things you'll need to fix. 

This way if you find something in the middle of the book that needs to be referenced in the beginning you can knock that out when you begin the editing instead of scrolling back and forth through the book as you read and edit and read and edit.

Read it through completely.

Then edit.

Seek Feedback

When you've done all you can to your draft it's time to send it on to someone else who will be able to look over it with complete honesty because no matter how much we loathe to admit it.. a writer can not wholly separate themselves from their novels. Sometimes we just get too attached to certain characters even though they add nothing to the story. 

Send a copy of your work to a friend, a beta reader, or a writing companion. Anyone who will be able to read your work and provide constructive feedback to help you bring out the best in your writing and get rid of those things that bring it down

Repeat 

After your beta reader has given you feedback and you've applied the necessary changes… go ahead and start this list again from the top if necessary. 

Give it time again before giving it another read-through. 

You may find that there's nothing else you need to change or you'll realize that it needs another round of editing.

Just be careful not to go too crazy. There does reach a time when you've begun to overwork your novel.

Best of luck and congratulations on finishing your first draft! 

With love, 

B. K xo xo

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