Version two: Delivered

Yesterday, I sent the second draft of my current novel back to my editor.

It’s always a strange moment. Relief that the work is done (for now), nervous excitement to hear what my editor thinks, and the inevitable exhaustion that comes from living with a story for months on end.

Stepping back and looking at all those red marks also reminded me of something that is easy to forget when we talk about writing.

The first draft is only the beginning.

Yes, it gets the story onto the page, but the rewrite is often where the real work lies, where every note becomes a question:

• Is this scene working?
• Is this character’s journey clear enough?
• Has this moment been earned?

I’ve spent more than twenty-five years telling stories across novels, comics, audio, TV and more, and one thing remains true:

Writing is creating something from nothing.

Rewriting is deciding what deserves to stay.

For now, though, I’m taking a moment to celebrate a milestone before moving on to the next project.

Cheers!