January 13. Where does the time go? Seems like only yesterday it was November 26, the day I COMPLETED MY FIRST DRAFT. Life has been a blur since then, what with the holidays and myriad of other activities that helped me forget (or at least granted me temporary amnesia) that I had spent a month pounding out 50,000 words.
The first draft is done. Somehow, despite not having the faintest idea how I was going to tie up the myriad strands of my story, I managed to deal with my red herrings, double the tension and finally resolve everything into a rather tidy ending. Finally, 94,500 words later, I got to type the magical words “The End” and close my laptop for a well deserved rest.
Well, nap time is over folks. I have a second draft and (GULP) edits to conduct. That starts with a full read through. Page 1 to page 447. To aid in the process, my darling husband Jim printed out the full manuscript this evening. Isn’t my baby pretty?
Now, the brutal part: to cut out the dead wood and add the essential descriptions that make my story shine. I head off into the ominous evening armed with two weapons: my red pen and the belief that I can do this.
It is a daunting and scary process. I think I did a good job on the first draft. At the risk of sounding unbearably pompous, I think have the makings of a damn fine gothic Victorian novel: blackmail, secrets, death and forbidden love…plus enough red herrings and plot twists to keep the reader interested until the end.
But first I need to refine it. My baby is a diamond in the rough. She is not ready for her introduction to society.
Time for finishing school.
