I’ve just wrapped Draft 2 of my second novel, which is always the most physical stage of my process. This is the part where I print the entire manuscript, sit down with a red pen, and read from beginning to end. I mark what needs to be cut, what needs to be deepened, and where the emotional logic needs to sharpen. By the time I’m done, the pages look like they’ve survived a small war.
Next comes Draft 3, which is less about the whole and more about the people who inhabit it. I’ll be doing a series of focused passes—one for each of the four major POV characters, and additional passes for the half‑dozen secondary voices. This is where I listen closely to their dialogue, make sure each voice is distinct, and confirm that every character has a real arc rather than simply orbiting the plot.
It’s meticulous work, but it’s also the stage where the book starts to breathe in a new way. I’m excited to see what emerges as each character sharpens into their final form.
