It took nearly six months, but beta reader revisions for my first book, Roots in Ink, are finally complete. Each of my beta readers got a copy in their inbox on Dec. 1, a full two weeks before my Dec. 15 deadline.
I anticipate getting this next round of feedback by the beginning of January. Their comments will let me know if I’ve addressed the biggest issues with my first draft.
- Lack of a clear Goal-Motivation-Conflict for my main characters
- Not enough world-building to have a clear understanding of the in-book universe
- Less telling, more showing of how my main characters end up in a relationship
- Flesh out the purpose and relationships of the secondary characters
Once my beta readers are done, I’ll make changes based on their recommendations. At that point it’ll also get a good line edit to clean up clunky sentences, smooth out any inconsistencies, and finalize minor details.
The Revision Process
Other authors might disagree, but I think revising might be one of my favorite parts of the writing process. Sure, it’s creatively exhausting, but it’s satisfying in the same way that power washing is.
If you’ve ever power washed a really dirty walkway, you know how viscerally satisfying it is to watch the muck and grime get blasted away, exposing the true surface underneath. When you have a long walkway, it can feel insurmountable, but as you chip away the gunk, the walkway begins to shine and it’s easier to see the results of your labor.
That’s how revisions feel to me.
I hit a wall at the halfway mark and it took a couple of weeks to work through it. Once I did, I was able to see the story come together. I made connections more easily and new paths were formed. I got excited about writing again and fell in love with more of my characters.
I found that breaking down each scene into its own outline with specific points that I needed to hit really appealed to the ADHD need to use a checklist. Outlining each scene took a bit more time, but it made writing easier.
What Comes Next?
I try to sell this thing and pay some bills.
But that’s a story for another day.
