For me, a novel’s 2nd draft is where the work gets done. The first draft is fun — filled with flights of fancy, expedient shortcuts, and little regard for strict adherence to continuity. Going into the second draft, now that you have gotten acquainted with your characters and the story they want to live, it’s the time to impose the craft aspect of writing onto your baby. I’m almost done with this stage. Here’s what it looks like so far:
What you see is an act/chapter/scene/extra-info breakdown of the second draft…minus the climax which I haven’t yet finished re-plotting (in place are the criminally rushed scenes from the first draft). I also have a large reference to track timelines, characters, the world, etc. It looks oh-so dry and clinical. Well, yes and no.
The second draft is where I act as reader and editor (in addition to writer) and try to take out the bits that don’t need to be in the story and add in bits that need shoring up. I need to make sure the continuity makes sense and that all characters that are necessary are accounted for. I also need to make sure that the things I set up that I intend to pay off are paid off. When you are looking at a word count in the six-figure area, the important details are not something I want to leave to chance.
Even so, my second drafts aren’t just exercises in editing and story doctoring. I re-type (re-keyboard?) the entire draft. No cutting and pasting. Unlike the first draft where I essentially banish my prep notes save for the chapter titles (which are subject to change), the second draft finds me with the first draft text right beside me. As I read and type and implement my changes, I once again become immersed in the story because it is still something being built letter by letter. It also allows me the opportunity to make changes on the fly as the characters dictate. After all, just because I have a plan doesn’t mean I’m right.
In some ways, I sort of consider the second draft as being like a fanfic of my first draft. Smart-ass fanfic writer me is determined to show that I can write a better story than that dumb-ass first draft author who obviously couldn’t write his way out of a wet paper sack. Since I’m now relieved of the burden of coming up with a universe and characters out of whole cloth, the process is much easier.
I plan to start work on the 2nd draft text in short order. I’m hoping it’ll be finished by the end of August, but I have art to commit as well, and those deadlines have a habit of being less flexible. Time will tell.
