Finished First Draft! Now What? Post by Jessica E. Subject #amediting

 

It’s November, the month of NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. Many authors participate in this event, aiming for 50,000 new words written either on a single novel, shorter works, or to finish up works-in-progress. I am not participating this year, as I finished the second Kaddim Brothers story on October 31, and am busy working on revisions for it. Though I have already started writing the third Kaddim Brothers story, my main focus is getting the second story polished and ready to go. What is my revision process? Well, here goes…

1)      Get the story in the computer.

I write all my stories in notebooks. I’m not limited to writing in my office that way, and don’t worry as much about staring at a blank screen. But, this also means I have an extra step in the revision process. Transferring the story from paper to digital does give me a chance to do some revisions and editing though. Sometimes things don’t sound right, or I’ve spelled a word wrong. And in some spots there are blank lines where I have to fill in after doing some research, or find information in my series bible. I usually try to transfer words throughout the writing of the story, but when I’m near the end of the story, I keep plugging away in my notebook, not wanting to take the time to get it in the computer until it’s finished.

2)      Do a spell check.

This may seem really simple, but it’s an important step for me. When transcribing, I sometimes make typing errors. Also, because I write sci-fi and paranormal, some words and names are not a common spelling. By doing a spell check, and using “accept all” or adding the word/name to the dictionary, I can make sure I’ve spelled the word correctly throughout. Because if it comes up again, it was spelled wrong somewhere.

3)      Print story out for first major round of revisions.

This is where I get out my faithful red pen, and multiple resources to ensure that my story makes sense, and that the reader can see and feel exactly what I do. I add in more descriptive details, make sure I’m showing by using active verbs, and ramp up the emotion wherever possible.

4)      More revisions.

After I enter the previous round of revisions in the computer. I know some things will not flow properly. So, I need to look for those and find other spots that need more work. This step may happen several times until I am satisfied with my story.

5)      Go through and get rid of crutch words.

I have a list or overused/crutch words. One that grows with every story I get back from my editors. I search through my story for these words, making sure they’re not used too often. This part is the hardest for me, as sometimes it’s difficult to find a way to say the same thing but with different words. It’s painful, but it saves time later on, and makes my editors happy.

6)      Digital read through.

After several rounds of revisions, I feel satisfied with my story. But, by this point, I’ve read the story so many times that it is jumbled together in my brain. So, I need to switch the medium on which I read it. I will read it on my phone or on my computer to get a different, and more reader-like read-through of my story. At this point, I usually pick up some misspelled words that weren’t caught by me or the spell-check, missing or incorrect punctuation marks, and other odds and ends. I may even notice some big issues that still haven’t been addressed in previous revisions.

7)      Send to beta reader, editor, or submit.

Yay! I reached the point where I was satisfied and decide to send my story off to someone else. Because no one will ever see my first draft! There will be more rounds of revisions to come, but this is a good start.

Jessica E. Subject is the USA Today bestselling author of science fiction and paranormal romances, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or a pop star tiger shifter, but also unsuspecting clones and feisty omegas. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to an alternate reality where shifters live among humans. You can find her books on Amazon and other e-book retailers.