Back in the early days, when I would toy with the idea of writing anything, I always cringed at the idea of writing a first draft. That simple word, draft, gave me the impression that writing anything was double the work. I had a serious thought once that made me so mad to think about the fact that I have give in a draft to a professor. I just knew that anything I wrote for school I could get it right the first time. Sigh, to be young and dumb.
With that being said, I’m glad to finally say that Draft 2 of the book has been completed. I actually completed it this past weekend. The hardest part about this process is that I know that I could read this book again and still have more changes. But there comes a time when you just have to take a break from it. So Draft 2 is readable and it was this version of the novel that I sent to the test readers a few days ago.
There are differences between the first raw draft and the more polished second draft. The second draft is longer. Since I knew where I wanted to go with the story, I began foreshadowing events earlier in the book. Also, I re-wrote the last fifty pages in the second draft that completely overhauled the story. One could suggest that there are alternative endings but I would like to think that the second draft is just better crafted.
Which now leaves me with the third draft. This is what I hope will end up being the final copy. I got me an editor and we will work together to put some final touches on this thing. I have already made a change for the third draft. I change some of the character’s names. There were two of them in particular that I felt needed to have a different name because I know people who have those names. To be real, when I first started writing this novel, I was using any name that came to mind. I didn’t want to get bogged down thinking about perfect names.
Preliminary results from the test readers are positive thus far. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous because I wasn’t sure what to expect. I have about nine people who have volunteered to read this story. I gave them some instructions on what to look for. The most important thing I wanted them to know was that if they know me, they need to push it out of their minds. The book is adult in nature with some situations that might raise some eyebrows. This way I don’t hear people say…”yo, I cannot believe that you said this word like 5 times in the book.” lol
The other issue that I thought about yesterday is the design of the book jacket. I have a thought in my head that I’m beginning realize will not translate easily paper to computer screen. I will have to sketch some ideas. This kinda makes me laugh considering that at one point in my life I thought I might be an artist since I used to love drawing. Now it all comes full circle. However, I’m not graphic designer which means I have to find one before all this is done.
Further down the road is getting an ISBN. That will run me about $200 – $250 for like 10. That alone makes me think about creating a budget. I will also have to pay my editor and think about advertising costs. In any case, I’m in a good position to get all this done before the summer.
Anthony Otero 