The Trendsetter

Now you have completed your first draft of your manuscript - what’s next?

You should ignore it for several weeks – at least two to three weeks. When you take it out and look at it you should examine it and read it - as a reader with a fresh mind and perspective.

After completing your reading you should ask yourself these questions, “What lingers the most in your mind with what you’ve written?” Are you happy with the ending - or do you think something could be done to improve it? What is it? I find myself asking the same questions over and over when I revise my manuscript.

It is true. Writing is actually rewriting. Your first draft is not complete until it has been revised and rewritten.

There are a lot of “how to books” out there to assist you with the task of editing your manuscript. I find the following advice found in many of them to be helpful:

1. Are your lead characters realistic enough to make them memorable? If not, add more about them to make them three-dimensional.

2. Are all the loose ends tied together at the end of the story? Other than the main plot, your lead characters have their own little things happening to them. For instance, like, early in the story, your lead character strikes a friendship with someone who is helping them in the quest to reach his or her goal, etc. You need to bring this friendship to a conclusion at the end of the story so your reader will not be asking what happened to him or her.

3. Edit the other elements like setting, theme, plot, style, etc.

4. Do your lead characters find themselves entangled with a lot of no.., no…but, yes…but along the way to reach his or her goal? If there are more yes than no…, no…but or yes…but - your plot may be boring. The lead characters are supposed to encounter many hurdles along the way of reaching their goals.

I find that writing the first draft is just as hard as rewriting. I need to chop a lot of strayed dialogue and sequels to tighten the plot. I also need to add more information about the leading characters. All in all I find it is an excellent learning process for me.

I hope you do as well. Happy rewriting!