I’m getting to the end of the first draft (or, as I refer to it, the “garbage draft”) of my current novel, Anna, Daughter of Creed. So today, I’m going to share what I plan for the next steps.
Every author works a little–sometimes a lot–differently, but learning how others work can help each of us refine our craft.
This post is for people waiting for my next novel and is a way for me to remain transparent to my readers. It’s also for new authors starting or finishing their first or second novel, and experienced authors who’d like a peek at one writer’s process.
Finishing the Garbage Draft
I’m about 71,000 words into Anna, Daughter of Creed, now! I have the ending planned; it has some interesting twists, and my goal is to get it done by San Diego Comic-Con, which my son are attending in a week and a half. I think this draft will come to about 80,000 words, so I need to write about 1,000 words a day. It will be a great feeling to have this book finished!
I started it nearly two years ago and wanted to have it done in about a year. However, even with an outline, the first two attempts didn’t feel quite right. At first, I wrote about 20,000 words, then started again. That time, I got to 61,000, and realized it wasn’t quite right! It sounds crazy, but that’s how it goes sometimes. I’m sure many of you have heard about this sort of thing happening with screenplays. How many movies go through several complete bottom-up rewrites before a studio gets the script that feels right?
Anyway, I’m pleased with the latest draft. This story still has many of the elements you expect from my Creedverse novels if you’ve read my trilogy, The Adventures of Bodacious Creed, but in different measurements. It makes sense. Anna is Creed’s daughter, but while he’s an intelligent action hero, she’s an intellectual who will face danger when needed. You see, a unique balance.
On to the next step after the draft is done!
Marking Up the Draft
After writing the first (or garbage, or vomit) draft of a novel, many writers like to print the manuscript and go over it with a pen and highlighter. I haven’t done this with all my books, but I like this, too. However, printing the manuscript on my printer, or getting it done at a print shop like Fed-Ex, costs a lot and doesn’t produce a lasting product.
I’m going to do for Anna, Daughter of Creed what I did for the garbage draft of Bodacious Creed and the San Francisco Syndicate: get a hardcover print of it from Barnes & Noble Press. There, you can either publish books or order personal copies. I’m simply going to make a personal copy of this, double-spaced, and order that. This costs quite less than going to a photocopy shop and looks much nicer.
I should get it shortly after San Diego Comic-Com, and will read over it, highlighting sections and taking notes.
Major Edits
With that done, I’ll set the book out on my desk and go through it with the Word manuscript, making changes. This will probably take a few weeks.
Then, I’ll edit the novel solely in Word, using the track change feature, adding scenes as needed, changing details, and so on. I’ll probably end up going over the book a few times this way until I feel the story is solid and the book is well-polished.
To ProWritingAid
Next, I’ll use ProWritingAid to catch as many errors as possible. This is a fantastic program that uses AI and other advanced features to check grammar and more.
To My Editor, Etc.
Still, it’s not done yet! Every author knows it takes another set of eyes, or maybe several. Even today’s top-notch grammar software doesn’t catch everything. And, even after my editor works on the book, errors will still get through. The point is to get rid of as many as possible and to really polish the prose.
My editor, KH Koehler, who also worked on Bodacious Creed and the Jade Lake and Bodacious Creed and the San Francisco Syndicate, does a fantastic job, and will keep going over the book until we’re both satisfied. She’s an absolute gem.
After her first round of edits, and after I’ve incorporated them, I’ll have Word read the book aloud to me. Of course, this will take about a week, but it’s another way to discover if anything sounds wrong and to fix it. Then, it might go back to K, depending on how it seems to me.
Finally, Publication!
The last step is formatting and publishing the book! I use novel format templates provided by KDP. These are excellent and will make it easy to format the book professionally. I’ll also create a header for each chapter, something I eventually did for The Adventures of Bodacious Creed trilogy.
I’ll choose a publication date, and I’m sticking to Tuesdays from now on, which is when major publishers release books, so it’s when many expect book releases. I’ll set up pre-orders, and order a proof copy for myself to make sure it looks right, and when it does, approve it.
I’ll send digital ARCS to potential reviewers. Also, since I run a Kickstarter for each of my books, and, of course, did for this one, I’ll send out digital copies to backers about a week before the book is live to the public. And, I’ll send out the print copies as soon as I receive them after publication.
I expect to have Anna, Daughter of Creed out in early 2025.
Aside from other marketing steps, that’s about it! Yes, once the garbage draft is done, there’s still a lot of work. Some authors dread the revision phase, but I love it. I find it the easiest and most satisfying part, making sure everything fits, finally being able to see the big picture of the story, so I’m eager to get this draft done and to get Anna, Daughter of Creed ready for the public to enjoy.
“Put down everything that comes into your head and then you’re a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff’s worth, without pity, and destroy most of it.” (Casual Chance, 1964) ~