Draft Diaries: Second Draft, Chapter 12

I’m currently rewriting my first draft completely over (except for a few paragraphs here and there, but even those are heavily edited). I’m currently on chapter 12, roughly half way unless a new one pops up (that’s happened twice now). 

Right now what’s working for me is rewriting two chapters, going back and heavily editing those two chapters, and then repeat. It’s a bit excruciating at times, especially for someone as impatient as me, but I am at least happy with what’s on the page now. I couldn’t say that about the first draft, and the story is finally looking like it does in my head. 

A little life update: things are lining up to where I hope within a couple of weeks to have a full-time job (I’ve been doing freelance work for the past few years). I decided to start looking for a number of reasons, but overall I’m excited to be returning to a job where I’m not constantly looking for my next client.

This means, at least for the first few months, my writing schedule is about to change drastically. For one thing, I’ll actually have a set schedule for the first time in years. Freelance work is great for flexibility, but not the best for stability, which is one of the reasons for the switch. 

So in order to continue my writing progress, I’ll need to create “office hours” to work on my novel. While I’m not sure what that will look like yet and am not going to bother trying to come up with one until I get through my first week at a new job, I am kind of excited about having a strict routine for a while. I think it will be good for my self esteem to be back at work, even if I hope it won’t be a very long in office every day experience and they let me work from home. 

Anyways, I’m getting to the part in the book where the two main characters are getting ~closer~ and I’m having so much fun. I’m genuinely excited to get to write the next few chapters. 

And I’m genuinely excited to be getting closer and closer to hopefully querying this book that’s had me wrapped up for over two whole years now, and one step closer to it one day being a real book that other people might enjoy and take solace in. 

Happy Aries season & happy astrological New Year, babes. ✨