Seven Down... Second Draft to Go!

So, I finally got it done! As mentioned earlier, it was suggested that reading seven books would be a good way to pull yourself away from your first manuscript. Not only would it give me time and space before diving back in, but it would also be an opportunity to expose myself to other writers and learn. I paid attention to how they introduced their characters, explained environments, and closed each chapter’s arc. I also evaluated the different ways of storylines flow and how different writing techniques are used in dialogue between characters. For example, bare dialogue: I like it and get it, but does it make it harder for some readers to follow? 

I have been in the depths of reading suspense with twists, dramas, light reads, funny rom-coms, and some others that I don’t necessarily know what genre to call. I’ve learned a little bit from each of them. I even read one where I wasn’t really fond of the entire story, but I really loved the author’s notes at the end. 

On a separate note, it also makes me laugh to think about how quickly I plowed through all of them just to get back to my own book...ready to tear into it, ready to keep pushing forward. 

So, what were some of the things I loved? 

Relatability. Two of the books had supporting characters who reminded me so much of my own loved ones. I could also identify with the main characters’ emotions, outlook, and struggles. 

Speed. Some of them felt perfect in the way the stories flowed, whereas others felt rushed and completely unrealistic. At the conference I went to, there was a speaker who said, “Don’t rush to the stable.” I thought about that comment a lot because I had been worried while finishing my manuscript that I was doing the same thing, since the word count was getting up there. So... that is something I will look into when I go over the second draft. 

Head Hopping, Time Jumping, and Parallel Narratives. I was also really interested in looking at the ways multiple characters interacted within the stories. I don’t mean only dialogue with each other. I mean the situations where you hear their thoughts, flashbacks flood over them, or individual storylines move parallel to one another as the story progresses. Each book was peppered with different styles. 

Twists. I love a good twist. You can expect there to be a climax in every book, and I think I’ve mentioned before that sometimes I know what it’s going to be long before it happens, either when I’m reading a book or watching a movie. I know that sometimes drives the people around me crazy when I’ve already figured it out before we get there. But another thing I heard at that same conference was, “Always do something that no one expects. It drives the readers crazy.” But I like it. 

Don’t get me wrong. There are definitely some authors out there that I’m still really angry with because of the characters they took from my imagination, but I understand why it happens. In at least two of the books, I read over the past three and a half weeks, things happened that I never expected. Three and a half weeks... Wow, I really plowed through those books quickly. 

Character Dynamics. I was really interested in the dynamics between the characters. Opposites attract, or two souls are put together because they simply have to be. How that relationship develops and how it works were other aspects I paid attention to. 

Perhaps it’s because I’m a people watcher or because my brain endlessly observes and dissects things, I’m unsure. But if there’s anything that I’ve gained out of all of this, it is a deep appreciation for the countless people who have created and provided stories for our world to enjoy. It’s no wonder why I’m mesmerized and fascinated by it, and also why I’m so passionate about moving forward. 

It’s time to tear into my second draft, and I must tell you, there’s a really good chance that several of my next blog posts will be about editing. Lord knows how long I’m going to be doing that! I’m not scared though. In fact, I’m pretty stoked!