On Monday I returned to my book. I opened up the Google-doc and skimmed over it a few times. I got the printed manuscript of my second rough draft back along with some insightful information (I had given my rough draft to a trusted friend who read it in three weeks and helped me figure out my characters motives and chapter placements). Now I’m back to the grind. Today, I am about 30 pages into my second rough draft picking it apart once again, looking for grammar mistakes, punctuation, and parts of dialogue that need fixing.
Since I haven’t seen or read any drafts of my book the past three weeks, I’m surprised by how much I remember, how much I can almost recite line by line as I look over it. Did I miss my characters? Yes. Now that they’re back in my hands I want to expand and fill in the bare bones of my rough draft. Just in these first 30 pages, I’ve noticed how stripped it is, how it needs filling and fleshing out, which would help to make it more swallowable and enjoyable for readers. Of course, I’m not here to please, I’m here to write but I can see what I need to do and I’m ready to get started.
What I want to do going into my 3rd rough draft: expand and fill in necessary chapters/dialogue/scenes, rearrange a few chapters (their placement), and polish off my ending.
At first, I had about four to six different endings for my book. I wrote and rewrote from different perspectives but I cut all of that out in my second draft. I know I need a more solid ending, or at least one final chapter that doesn’t necessarily wrap everything up but most likely leaves questions and a few complications. Knowing that I still need to write a final chapter has brought me to the unsettling realization that there is more to be written, the story goes on and I can sense that my characters have more to say and do. This means that there will be a second book at some point, but I’m not even going to start thinking about that. I just need to finish this first one and then I’ll move on.
Besides my book, this week was eventful, I went out of town with my partner for a short vacation. It was good to have a brief change of scenery and some much needed alone time together. I came home yesterday and spent the day resting, now starting my work week I feel fully rested and ready to get stuff done.
What I’m reading:
Goodreads ‘currently-reading‘
What I’m listening to:
My Spotify Discover Weekly Playlist
Thank you for reading!
-Alina
