First Draft, Second Draft, Edits #writing #writinglife #rewriting #IWSG

The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

Insecure Writer's Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: For how long do you shelve your first draft, before reading it and re-drafting? Is this dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your belt?

Ideally, I like to have about 3-6 months pass before I go back for a second draft and edits. I always work on other projects in between. This gives me enough time so I can get back to the story refreshed and able to re-read my work with a critical eye. And depending on the story, I sometimes have more than one or two drafts. For some of my books, I've done 5 drafts with revisions and rewrites. It all depends on the project.

Recently, I've been writing faster, so I've been going with less time in between some projects. For short stories and novellas, I've been letting them sit for about a month or two before I start working on them again. But for novels, I still feel 3 months is a beneficial time frame.

So, I guess to answer the question, the longer the project, the longer I shelve it before reading it again. And yes, I think this is a direct result of my writing experience. I've been writing for over twenty years and I've published around 30 projects (short stories, novellas, novels).

When I first began writing, it took me close to a year to write a book. Well, maybe six months to a year, depending on the book. Some longer. My writing skills have grown, I'm much more confident with my abilities and talent, and my home life has changed significantly giving me more time than I ever had to focus on my writing work. I outline more and write first drafts faster. Now, I'm able to get a novel written in 4 to 6 weeks, a novella in a week or two, and a short story in a day depending on the length.

All these details factor into what my writing schedule looks like. Because life keeps changing, my writing schedule keeps evolving. Having my four kids home during the last year for virtual school because of the pandemic really took a hit with my writing output. I spend the early morning hours writing, but the rest of the day is spent helping them with their schoolwork. A little bit of writing/editing/marketing/networking in the afternoon, and then evenings are spent doing other family activities. Once they're done with school, hopefully, I'll be able to extend my writing hours by letting them sleep in during the morning. Then I'll be able to get back to a more productive writing/editing schedule.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed because I have a lot of stories I want to write and several waiting for that second draft.  

As always, be safe and keep writing!

~ Tricia 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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