If you followed my advice, then the finish first draft has hunkered down in a drawer awaiting your eyes for at least FOUR weeks (Do not cheat on this, friends. Seriously).
Four weeks have passed.
Tick.
Tock.
And now you are finally able to pull that mess of your first draft from the drawer to read it.
Here’s what I do:
I print a copy - single sided pages. I know. I know. The environment. I need it printed for rewriting. So, no matter how much you guilt me, I will continue to print the drafts.
After the allotted four-week minimum, I set up in a place that’s comfortable to read.
I grab a pencil but this isn’t for rewriting (not yet). I allow myself the pencil because I know I will be tempted to mark typos, and so I will allow myself that.
Then I read the draft beginning to end. WITHOUT REWRITING. I just do a complete read through like a reader.
Reading it without stopping to mark it up is very important.
Here’s why: Reading a book from start to finish without stopping allows you to see the big picture.
This provides you the opportunity to identify the holes in the plot,
to explore the character development (or lack of it),
to see the places where the thread of a theme emerged that should be developed.
You are reintroduced to the time and place which highlights places where this isn’t clear.
If you stop to rewrite, you won’t be able to take the whole thing in to see the big picture of your story. You’ll be stuck in the details.
Once I’ve completed the read through, I use my journal to freewrite my thoughts. This reflection might be about what I loved in the story. What I think is strong and I’m proud of. The reflection allows me to identify the areas that aren’t working yet, the plot holes, the characters that need more work. This freewrite helps me to process what I’ve read and what I think needs work. This step is important because it helps inform the rewriting process. I know exactly what each scene and moment is working toward. If it isn’t serving that purpose, it gets cut or rewritten to make sure it’s working hard enough. The step clarifies the details in order to support the big picture.
I know waiting isn’t easy. I also know doing a read through without revising or editing is also difficult, but I highly encourage these steps.