I once heard an editor say that every revision should have a purpose. While this may not work for every writer, focusing on a specific problem can tame the seemingly overwhelming task of revising rough drafts.
The purpose of the first draft is Getting the Story Down.
For my WIP, the second draft is the Logic Draft. Before I started writing, I outlined the novel in detail, but I deviated from the plan and introduced a few subplots near the end. These changes had to be set up early in the story for them to make sense.
The third draft is the Page Turner Draft in which I slash and burn the boring stuff. I make sure my subplots overlap so that when one resolves, there are still plenty of things to worry about.
The fourth draft will be the Voice Draft. This is simply a page by page analysis to make sure all characters stay in character.
After that, I’ll read it and decide.
Critique Groups
12 hours ago
3 comments:
I just came to the same conclusion about my WIP. This is the "get it written" draft, to be followed by the "make it funny" and "describe some stuff" rewrites. It really lets you shelve a lot of worries and get the story out, doesn't it?
Jacqui: Divide and conquer.
What an excellent breakdown, Ann. If only I could hew to the first step. But no, I keep trying to do all of the steps in one draft. Which would be fine if I was actually getting it done, eh?
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