Story Craft #3:
Drafts are the various forms your story takes toward completion
Finishing the first draft is a wonderful feeling. There's a sense of accomplishment that your story, something that only ever existed in your head, is now real.
My books never turn out perfect on the first draft. That first draft is rough, ugly, and in need of a lot work, in addition to the technical edits.
There's things I've forgotten that need to be added, scenes that need reworked, inconsistencies to be corrected, character voices that need tweaked, and sometimes whole chapters that need excised.
The second draft makes my book readable for others. Once I get feedback from an editor or a trusted reader, then I go back for the third draft.
By then I've sat with the book for a while, and new ideas come to mind. Themes and character arcs start to emerge. I rework scenes to help enhance the themes and arcs therein, strengthening the story.
Then there's the fourth draft. Here's where I trim. Trim, trim, trim. Getting the word count down as low as possible without altering the story I originally set out to tell.
Fifth and sixths drafts follow. These aren't true new drafts, but quality checks before publishing. Even then, I still miss things. Reading my book in different formats helps me see errors I didn't see before. And even at this late stage, sometimes new scenes come to mind to be added.
It can feel long, but the end result is worth it.
Defacer and Defacer II: Bloodlust are available for purchase right now!
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Thank you all for your support. You all mean so much!
Thank you all for your support. You all mean so much!
