Draft Two of Your Book: How to Know It’s Time
How to bring your book to life
Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, and regardless of your genre, moving from the conception of an idea to a finished book can be a long, grueling process.
There are several questions to ask oneself as you move from the first draft to a completed book. For this article, let’s focus on the questions that need to be asked at the turn from the first draft to the second. For instance:
- When it’s time to stop editing, fine-tuning, and otherwise tinkering with your first draft
- How much time should pass between the writing of the first and the start of the second (or subsequent) drafts
- What to think about as you pivot
As this is the exact pivot moment I’m at in the development of my second book, I’m currently facing these questions. As I always do, I have been advising with trusted fellow writers and editors, and have come away with some suggestions and inspiration I thought I’d share.
First of all, let’s define what the purpose of a first draft is. That will help us better identify when that purpose has been met.
