So your rough draft is finished, and you’re wondering how in the hell you get this book into better shape. Maybe you just finished NaNoWriMo, or are gearing up for the completion of your own manuscript. Or maybe you’ve had one done for a while, and are intimidated by the revising/rewriting process! Let me break down what I do, and maybe that’ll give you all some tips and pointers on how to find your own process.

Wait 

When I finish a manuscript, I go on vacation from working on it for about a month (okay. Yes. Sometimes this “month” is only like, five days, but sometimes I’m eager to get back to work). I do breaks like this whenever I finish a draft – be it draft 2, 4, or some other draft further down the line. These breaks down always need to last a month, but giving yourself some time to step away from the work helps you get some perspective. Maybe that scene wasn’t as bad as you thought, or maybe there’s this one idea you come up with during your break that completely fixes this plot hole in act 2. Give your mind a break. Like a painter working on a canvas up close, now and then, you need to step back, get some water, have some snacks, and look at the piece with a fresh pair of eyes in the morning. Some of my best ideas have come during my breaks, and it helps keep me from being burnt out. Writing is something I love and cherish doing, and I do everything I can to make sure I don’t get tired of it.

Two documents, one screen

All right. So here’s the big thing that a lot of folks balk at when I tell them this is what I do. I’m not saying this’ll work for everyone, but if you try a few different techniques, you might be able to find something that works best for you during that journey. 

When I finish my first and second rough drafts, I open up a new doc, place both of them side by side on my laptop, and rewrite the entire thing. 

Yes.

I rewrite the whole document. 

Why do I do this? For a few reasons.

Blank page, endless possibilities

I have difficulty writing and revising in a document filled with words. I’m not sure what it is, but I feel crowded and contained whenever I try to change things. I feel as if I cannot properly rework sections of the book unless I have a completely fresh, empty page. Even further down the writing process, even when the book is almost ready, I will often open a new document in order to write a small paragraph to insert into a scene, just because I have a hard time writing it when it’s cramped up with words to the top and bottom of it. 

With an empty page, I feel limitless, and this helps me when reworking the entire rough draft. (And trust me, my rough drafts always need a lot of reworking.) 

Freedom to try something new

Going hand in hand with the above point, with an empty document, I feel freer to try something completely new. The rough draft always exists untouched after I finish it (yes, I still have the rough drafts of VIRIDIS and CAERULE in my harddrives), while the second draft gets to exist as its own thing. If I want to try a different way to go about a scene, or replace a specific arc, I don’t need to delete it from the rough draft. In fact, if I end up hating this new arc, I can always cut it from draft 2, and go back to where I had deviated from draft 1 without having lost any of that material. 

Fresh new words

New documents free me up to freshen up my words. In my rough drafts, not only is everything–obviously–rough, but my descriptions tend to suffer the most. I often gloss over them and write short-hands for scenes and characters, because writing descriptions, though something I love, takes a lot of time for me to get right. I tend to bring up visual guides and references to make sure I describe everything properly. When I’m writing a rough draft, I tend not to let myself get bogged down and stopped by wanting to get everything perfect, so I let myself keep going without solid references. When the second draft comes along, I take more time to get these scenes properly built, and allow myself time and space to do so. With rough drafts, I tend to get super excited to write specific scenes and run through the chapters to get to those moments, but with rewrites, I allow myself space to be excited by each new description, each better-honed scene, each character moment I nail. A new draft gives me permission to slow down and appreciate each improvement I’m making to the manuscript. 

Stepping stones

Each draft for me is a stepping stone. I don’t tackle any project with a set draft deadline–each draft I make progresses me further to my goal. I assume each project will take at least three drafts, understanding it’ll take more. The first draft you make will not be your last, and that’s okay. Time and experience will make you and your book / piece of writing / piece of art better throughout the process. As you revise, you’ll strengthen your skills, and your craft will grow more solid as well. So never feel bad about jumping into a new draft, about being on your tenth, or twentieth draft. Sometimes, getting things just right, is worth each step you take. (That said, knowing when to be done with a project is a good skill to learn!) 

Celebrate each milestone

I’ve learned that “punishing” myself never works. If I don’t hit a personal deadline, if I didn’t finish a scene I wanted to by a certain date, punishing my “failures” will not make writing a joy. It will not inspire me to continue working and continue putting in the blood, sweat, and tears. Instead, I celebrate. When I finish my drafts, I celebrate these victories. Maybe I’ll make cookies, maybe I’ll have a drink of my favorite sake, maybe I’ll watch a movie with a friend and have a massive bowl of popcorn to munch on while we chat. Celebrating victories tends to inspire me to keep going, to keep reaching those celebrations. Not just those big ones, either, but being proud of myself for working on my craft each day of a week, or celebrating finishing a hard scene, or a moment I was looking forward to writing. Don’t be afraid to be proud of your accomplishments – writing is a difficult craft! Be glad of your own mastery of it. 

Hopefully this little run-through helps someone out there! My process isn’t for everyone, but maybe if you experiment in your own ways, you’ll find the right revision process for you. All the best! <3