This is an actual picture of me tearing down my first draft...

3 Tips for Writing Your Novel's Second Draft

Hot damn and holy shit! I finally finished the first draft of "Caribbean Gold". 

Now what?

I have never made it this far. I always started a draft, got so far before deciding it was garbage and I was garbage, then quit.

Not this time!

After I scanned the typewritten pages (and made them coherent), I asked myself what I needed to do now.

The answer? A whole hell of a lot.

Plot holes....so many plot holes. I changed my mind or added new details later where they were not included earlier in the draft. Of course I was writing on a typewriter so I could not go back and easily add those things in. I did take notes on the side for what needed to be added or tweaked.

Then there is the word choices...how many g-damn times can I have a character smile...too many...Does anyone smile that much? They're like coke addicts in Columbia!

Now it is time to do so.

I took the liberty of browsing the good old google and finding several useful tips for what needs done on the second draft.

Apparently the second draft is much harder than the first. You take your work, so painstakingly pieced together, and tear it the F apart.

Here we go!

Tip 1: Take a Vacation

Step back from you work and breathe. Stop agonizing for a while and gain perspective, even if you do not take a full-blown vacation.

Your break will depend on you and your mindset. For some, a week will do the trick, for others it could be a month. 

Doing this will bring you back with fresh eyes and new ideas for your second draft.

You may even read your work and find that you are better writer than you thought.

Tip 2: Save the Proofreading for the Finale

You are going to want to edit. The irresistible pull of the thesaurus and grammar check will almost overwhelm you.

Almost.

Don't do it. Not yet.

Proofreading will distract you from your true purpose in writing a second draft. Getting your plot, pacing, character arcs, and other story elements in line with each other and smoothed out are the real goal.

Editing is not writing.

Here you are writing the second draft of your novel.

Tip 3: Read What You Have Written

Unlearn what you have learned...

Do not listen to the inevitable thoughts of you not being good enough. You wrote an entire first draft of a novel. 

You ARE good enough!

Now read it. Get some coffee, sit down in a comfy chair, and start. Find the flow and look for holes and gaps and make sure your details are consistent. 

Make notes as you go on what you want to change or fix but do that after the read. For instance, you say in one scene that there are 6 bad guys and in the next there are 12. 

Sometimes it helps to read things out loud or even act out the scenes. You will hear dumb dialogue better when it is spoken.

If I can do it, you can too!

I know, these are not revolutionary or mind-blowing tips. They are, however, practical and useful for anyone going into their second draft. 

When we are excited about something, we tend to rush in without thinking about these things. 

I know I do.

I also know that I will try to check punctuation and endlessly search for synonyms, thus interrupting the flow of my actual writing. 

Reading the experiences of others and their tips is truly helpful. It makes you wake up to your own first timer mistakes. 

Again, I must emphasize that I am learning this as I go! I will also attempt to practice what I preach! For instance, I need to sit my ass down and just do it (insert Shia LeBeouf meme here)