So. Second drafts. We hate them but we have to do them. The first draft of my novel is done, and I have had multiple beta readers go over it, and while I am so, so thankful for all their notes and the mistakes they pointed out… deep down I REALLY don’t want to do a second draft. I mean, the first draft is really solid and entertaining, but the reality is that a second draft is necessary. Sure the first draft is good, but good isn’t good enough- which means I’ll have to go through and make edits, deleting and adding sections of my writing. The second draft is when you can flesh out your story and really solidify everything.

In your first draft, you have the basics of your story, but there are so many things you are trying to focus on, you don’t always see the overall picture at the end. That’s where your beta readers come in and point out where you did well, and what needs to be expanded on. Don’t be discouraged by what the beta readers bring to your attention- they are only trying to help you, and even if it seems like you are making a lot of mistakes, simply view it as more opportunity for growth! Everyone makes plenty of writing mistakes- and I’ll even share one of mine so you see how common it is.

One of the things that a beta reader pointed out was that a few of my side characters sometimes seem a little one dimensional. I give them a goal, but you never see the character act on anything outside of that goal. So I need to work on bringing those side characters to life, not just having them be there, mindlessly in the scenes.

I can’t wait to let you all know how the writing is going next week! Now onto our new segment of Word of the Week! For June, we will be covering Star related words (did I choose this specifically for my birthday month… maybeeeee). Our word of the week is…:

The Word of the Week: Zenith

Pronunciation (Romanized): Zeh-nih-th

Definition: The point in the sky or celestial sphere directly above an observer

Example: The sun was well past it’s zenith and disappearing behind the trees surrounding the town.

I hope you have a lovely week and I’ll see you on the author side!