So You Wrote a Book–Now What?
Coming out of Mother’s Day weekend, let’s talk about Book Babies! And yes, I mean your Book Baby–you just finished writing draft one!
(Gif: cheers and confetti and beautiful times because let’s celebrate!)
Writing a book is no easy feat. It’s honestly an accomplishment in and of itself, kinda like birthing a human, I would imagine. The sleepless nights, the doubt, the elation, the anticipation, the just wanting it to be DONE already–there are certainly some parallels. In fact, did you know out of 97% of people who begin writing a novel, 30 out of 1000 go on to finish it? (I like my sources, but opinions can vary.)
(Gif: credibility is hard)
But regardless, the number of people who FINISH something they STARTED, even outside of writing? Super small, compared to the global population. (I haven't finished that paint-by-number I got into during the pandemic. Sorry, Mom). Now, apply that to finishing a 60k+ word NOVEL? Even smaller. (But I DID finish a book!)
So upon typing “The End,” you might stare at your keyboard and wonder, what do I do now? A sense of emptiness might be there, a hesitation that what has filled your head in waking and dreaming has reached a phase of completion.
First: CELEBRATE!
(Gif: victory pose!)
Allow yourself to take joy in what your creative heart has put on paper. Get some ice cream. Blast music and do a happy dance. Treat yourself in whatever way is best for you, but celebrate yourself. In this journey, you have to learn to cherish each milestone.
After you celebrate, REST. This one is hard. I always want to go right back into page one and start revisions. There are certainly merits to doing this with the ending so fresh in your mind. But allowing for rest can also help you refresh your eyes and be more objective about what works and what does not in a developmental sense. Forest from the trees, and all that jazz.
(Gif: it's just refreshing!)
You just finished your first draft–which can look world's different from your final. Giving yourself some rest time away from your manuscript can give you the space needed to make the cuts/revisions/moving pieces you need without prying precious words out of your cold, dead hands.
How much rest? Depends on the individual. I’ve seen writers recommend a month, generally speaking. For me, two weeks was enough.
I will have a whole blog on our revision process, but once you finish your first draft, celebrate, allow for rest, PLAN. This may be very hard for the panster writer. But even just jotting down some guiding questions as you reread and revise can help refine your book.
(Gif: how you gonna do this? pantsers ask...)
Keep the plan developmental (big picture):
Is my protagonist active? (Are they propelling the story forward with their actions/choices?)
Does the pacing compel the momentum forward? Are there any bits that drag?
Worldbuilding plot holes (Supernatural/Fantasy–hi, that’s me) but also plot holes in general
Character voice (appropriate for their age/genre/personality)
My first read through after I rest focuses on these bigger elements because that is where the most revision will occur. You might have to do what we did and take a whole chapter out, rewrite it four times, think it's fine, put it back, then decide in a beta round to take a whole character out of the scene. It's a back and forth process, but the end product is worth it. Don’t sweat small stuff, though—at the very end you’ll go through to polish it (line/copy, as much as you and ProWritingAid or Grammarly can).
During your revision stage, you can also CONNECT. Find someone for a praise pass. Maybe a writing buddy or close friend. Alphas, Betas, and CPs will ALSO be a whole other blog post, but find a small community of people to cheer you on, to read snippets, to help you make sense of the beautiful thing you’ve created. Publishing takes a village–and so does writing.
(Gif: You got a friend in me like Woody and Buzz)
Lastly, over the course of all of this post-draft-one-afterglow, consider setting GOALS. Where do you dream for this novel to go? Traditional publishing? Indie? Self to Amazon? Just for you? All paths are valuable, so long it is YOUR path and aligns with your goals.
How do you need to achieve that goal? This can dictate your timeline since all goals should be measurable. Consider when you want your various revision phases to be done. Be realistic! Some writers have more time than others, so please be gentle on yourself. Then, when you feel confident in your manuscript, start sending out to readers for feedback (again, timelines here too!)
(Gif: Be the goal, do the goal, become the goal...YOU CAN DO IT!)
This is just a general overview of how it can look after you finish the first draft of your novel. It’s an amazing, likely overwhelming feeling! But always just sit there in your chair, stare at those last two words, and take a deep breath. Hold it. Soak it in. And allow yourself to let it all out.
