Alright, home stretch! Here we go!

Last week I wrote about how writing the second draft of a story sucks. Haha, just kidding (kind of). Second drafts are all about piecing together the initial draft of the story you wrote, fixing spelling and grammatical errors, developing your characters, and basically re-writing the whole story. It’s a lot of work, but well worth it.

When I write a third draft, it’s usually not as labor intensive…usually. Honestly, my third drafts are about seeing what critiques others have on my work, if they resonate with me, and if/how I incorporate them.

Before I can do that though, I typically need a break from the story.

I Think We Need Some Space: Take a Break from Your Story Writing

Spending a lot of time on a single story is a lot like hanging out with a close friend. It can be fun, but sometimes they can start getting on your nerves. What’s the saying? Time a part makes the heart grow fonder? I find the same to be true for story writing.

This time a part is crucial, as it not only allows me to work on other projects but also helps me approach my third draft with fresh eyes.

How long is this sabbatical? Honestly, I haven’t found the sweet spot.

I finished the “second draft” of one of my stories almost a year ago, and I still don’t feel ready to revisit it. I hate to chalk this up to a gut feeling, but I do. When I find myself thinking about the story frequently–its plot, themes, and characters–in great length and with excitement, that’s when I decided to return to it.

May I Barrow Your Eyes? Finding Other to Critique Your Writing

While I’m taking a break, I often ask some trusted individuals to lend me their eyes and critique my work. Depending on your situation, these people can be hard to find.

I’m very fortunate to I have a fiancé who loves me dearly and will not hold back when expressing his thoughts. He will state his opinions with confidence and kindness when critiquing my work, not being one to sugar coat them for the sake of placating me. If you can find someone like that, be it a fiancé or a friend, hold on to them. 

Generally speaking, friends and family aren’t always the best people for the job. They typically don’t want to say anything that may come a across as “negative” about your work. I recommend trying to find a community of writers who will be honest with you as well as respectful. See if your city has an existing group you can join (cough, cough Writers of Twin Falls). Alternatively, you can also search online for these communities.

When giving your story to others to critique, it’s always good to let them know what you would like them to focus on. Ask them to make suggestions on:

• Character development
• Dialogue
• Grammar/punctuation
• Plot development
• Imagery
• Wording
• Theme development

I know it can take a while to build trust with people, but I find it is well worth it.

Hello, [Insert Story Name Here]! We Meet Again!

After some much needed time apart, I read through it again before I start poking at it. I take note of what I feel works and what I feel doesn’t, highlighting those sections and making brief annotations. After I do this, I then dive into the suggestions of others.

I like to have multiple people look at my work, this way I can compare their notes. It can be hard to trust the critiques of just one person, but if multiple people are saying a specific section needs re-writing, then I know I should probably focus on that. Vice versa if they make a comment on how great something is. Ultimately though, it is up to you what advice you decide to act on.

Once I’ve taken the suggestions of others into consideration, I start working on my story section by section, seeing what needs to be corrected, re-written, or removed. 

Writing a story is never easy. Even when you go through several drafts, you may feel like it’s not ready. Some writers will say you’ll innately know when a story is ready to be released out into the world, others will say you’ll never feel like it is. I fall in the middle ground of the two.

A story for me has to feel right. I have to feel that I’ve done it justice. But if I’m spending too much time thinking about the right way to phrase something, I’ll try to step back and try my best to let it go. There is no such thing as perfect.

I hope you enjoyed this little dive into my drafting process. It’s by no means is perfect, but it’s what works for me for now. Tell me a little bit about your writing process. Leave me a comment down below.