Hey gang,
Seems like a lot of you want to know about second drafts–how long they take, how many drafts follow, and what they look like.
Well, I can firmly say…it depends.
Every writer is different. Heck, every BOOK is different. For me second drafts are usually the time when I stop seeing all the fun, cool stuff and start focusing on the problems.
Usually some of the problems are self-evident. A lot of the times the problems are also things that were in my head but somehow didn’t make it onto the page, and it takes someone else reading the pages and saying “why is character X always saying things like Y?”
And then I have to fix it.
Draft three, just so you know, is usually when the crying starts.
I have no idea how long the second draft will take. Nor do I know how many drafts will come after.
But I can tell you that I’m going to do everything in my power to make this the best book yet. And that is just about the only thing of which I’m really, truly sure.
–Ally