Stages of the Process

Hey,

A week or so ago, I submitted my next novel to my editor. It’s technically a second draft, but it feels a lot like a first to me. I remember this stage, and I’m saying to myself, “oh, I remember this”.

To be transparent, I hate what I’ve written. I don’t mean I think the whole thing needs scrapped, but it isn’t the best version yet. It’s clunky. The pacing is all wrong. I don’t don’t like the flow. The characters still fall flat. There’s something there, but it’s not totally revealed yet. The story is hiding from me. But that’s the process. It hides, and I need to uncover it with drafts.

Write and re-write. That’s what the story demands.

But I’m uncertain through the whole thing. I think there’s something there, but it’s only my suspicion. There’s always the possibility I’m wrong. But I suppose there’s something to learn in that as well.

Now, I wait for initial feedback. In the meantime I’m refilling the creative tank. Reading. Thinking. I’ve already got ways to improve it.

Here we go.