I've Got a Messy First Draft. What Do I Do Now?
Virtual Office Hours #12
Note: This is one of a series of “ask me anything” posts I did for a group of writers I worked with in fall 2024.
Q: I’ve written a novel. What next? Do I send it to beta readers? Do I hire a copy editor? Do I write a query letter?
A: First, stop and celebrate! Congratulations! You’ve written a novel! This is a bigger accomplishment than you may realize. According to a 2002 survey by The New York Times, 81% of US Americans dream of writing a book someday.
A much smaller fraction of those who want to write a book actually do write a book. Of the people who take the step of beginning to write a book, only 3% ever finish. You’re already in rare company.
Don’t minimize that accomplishment. Don’t gloss it over. Don’t be so focused on next steps that you fail to give this accomplishment its due. Take the time to stop and celebrate in a big way.
Next, consider this: only 3% of people who start writing a book will ever finish it (yay you!), but less than 1% of those people will ever publish it. In fact, only 0.6% of people who write a book will ever publish their books.
You’ve done the hard part, in my opinion. You’ve made your dreams of writing your book a priority, you’ve made the time, and you’ve fought your way through all the obstacles: imposter syndrome, writer’s block, self-doubt, the stress of all the other life things demanding your attention.
But your work isn’t over. Your next steps are going to consist of all the things you can do to increase your chances of being in that 0.6%.
In our lesson this week, we talked about next steps, but I want to put that into a little more context for you, because you’re going to eventually do all of the things you mentioned in your question, but if you’re a serious writer, those things are still a long ways off.
The first thing a writer with a completed first draft needs to accept is that the real work is only beginning. I don’t say that to scare you off—I think the fun work is beginning. But I say that because writing does not offer quick results, and the sooner you accept that, the better equipped you will be to manage the slow-as-molasses roller coaster that is a writing career.
Once you have a finished draft, here are the steps I recommend taking before you begin your next draft:
Put your manuscript away for a time. I highly recommend reading The Artful Edit: On the practice of editing yourself by Susan Bell for more on the why, what, and how of this important step. This book will also prepare you for the revision process, which is where the magic happens.
Outline your manuscript. I recommend creating an “as-is” outline that includes every scene of your book, as described in lesson 12. Include bullet points of no more than 2-3 lines for the “plot” of each scene (what happens) and the “point” of each scene (what is the meaning behind the scene and/or why is it relevant or important?).
Check your outline for developmental or structural issues. Do you have a clear beginning and ending that tie together? Do you have tentpole scenes that show your story arc and your protagonist’s character arc? Can you see the stakes? Do you have character agency and narrative drive from each scene to the next?
Note in your outline how you’re going to fix each of the problems you’ve identified.
Check your outline for continuity issues, e.g., does the “fix” you’ve come up with for scene 32 necessitate changes in scenes 4, 17, and 21?
There—you’ve basically given yourself a preliminary developmental edit. Now, you’re ready to start rewriting your novel.
I like to say “rewriting” instead of “revision” because I think it better sets writers up for the undertaking that’s ahead of them. Self-editing involves multiple rounds of revision. I suggest rewriting/revising your manuscript in layers, e.g., one round of revision may be for the sole purpose of addressing point-of-view issues, another may address dialogue, another may address exposition. Revising in layers is a long process, yes, but it’s ultimately easier and more effective than diving into a manuscript with the idea that you’re going to find and fix everything all at once. Books I recommend that are especially helpful with this part of the process are Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book by Allison K. Williams and Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts by Matt Bell.
Once you’ve finished the rewriting process and are satisfied you’ve done the best you can do on your own, then is the time to share your work with others outside your critique group. Sharing your work before it’s ready usually isn’t constructive and can, in fact, be detrimental.
First, you might share your work with beta readers. If you do, make sure both you and your readers understand what kind of feedback you are looking for, and make sure you’re seeking feedback for the right reasons. If you’re looking for validation from a particular person whose approval you need, that may not be a dynamic that’s going to serve you. Another option is to hire more objective beta readers through a service like The Spun Yarn.
Once you’ve heard back from your beta readers, consider whether the feedback rings true to you and whether you need to undertake further revisions based on the feedback. Keep updating that outline—it’s your blueprint or roadmap.
Next, you might decide to hire an editor. Most manuscripts need to go through three levels of editing—developmental (or structural) editing, line editing, and copyediting—in that order. Again, make sure your manuscript is ready first. Undertaking this step too soon may be counterproductive and may waste money. If you hire a copy editor, for example, and then undertake more structural and line-level revisions, you’re likely going to need to hire a copy editor again. Copyediting should be the last step in the editing process for you, the writer. (Proofreading is the very last step, once the book has been formatted for publishing.)
That said, whether your manuscript needs all three levels of editing depends on a number of factors, including things like (1) your writing—whether you need more or less help with things like structure, grammar, spelling, etc.; (2) whether you’ve worked with a book coach, a critique group, or a critique partner that has already helped you polish your book as much as possible; and (3) your publishing plans.
If you’re self-publishing, you want to publish the best book possible—cutting corners on things like editing won’t serve your publishing, sales, or marketing goals. If you’re seeking an agent, on the other hand, you want to query them with your best work, but keep in mind there’s such a thing as a “good enough” draft—one that’s good enough to land you an agent, keeping in mind that the agent may want to work with you on edits, and your future publisher will certainly work with you on all the levels of editing.
Last, if you’re self-publishing, you’re ready for formatting your book and cover design. If you’re querying agents, now is the time to draft a query letter, draft a synopsis, and develop a pitch plan.