EDITING A BOOK after a first draft (The Dreaded 2nd Draft)

The dreaded second draft is (in my opinion) the hardest stage of editing a book. Here's both my PLAN for editing my novel as well as what ACTUALLY happened lol.
Mentioned in video:
◦ Editing Playlist: • EDITING TIPS
◦ Beta Reader Playlist: • BETA READERS
◦ Writing BONUS SCENES (my fave vlog ever): • writing BONUS SCENES +...
◦ Proofreading The Secret Gift (vlog): • it took waaaay too lon...
◦ Vlog #1 in this series (Beginning a new book): • Can I write a book in ...
◦ Vlog #2 in this series (Falling so behind): • this book is taking tw...
◦ Vlog #3 in this series (Struggling with Imposter Syndrome): • is this imposter syndr...
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◦ THE SECRET SHADOW: / the-secret-shadow
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◦ THE STOLEN KINGDOM: books2read.com/thestolenkingdom
◦ THE JINNI KEY: books2read.com/thejinnikey
◦ THE CURSED HUNTER: books2read.com/thecursedhunter
◦ THE ENCHANTED CROWN: books2read.com/theenchantedcrown
◦ The Stolen Kingdom Audiobook: www.audible.com/pd/B088FVQNJK...
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[@woodlandlady7011]

Watching your progress helps me stop feeling so bad when I make those kind of statements that I can do things quicker than I think, and I don't have a young one. You do a fabulous job, Bethany. I'm looking forward to the vlog of you outlining book 3!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yay thank you so much! And absolutely, you've got this-our self-talk is a game changer and most of the time we are doing a lot more than we think!

[@Millicomics]

Hi Bethany! The secret gift’s cover is one of the favorite covers I’ve ever seen. I love the darkness and mystery in it. It’s very beautiful, and it immediately makes me want to read it. I will be sure to have it on my shelf!💗

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Thank you so much, I’m so happy to hear that!! 🥰

[@cripticadventures]

This has been the most authentic and helpful video on draft edits. I've been feeling very blue in regards to projects I've put off and have been struggling with restarting. I've no writing community at all. So it can get lonely and quite confusing / unsure about my work. And it seems half the people online make it seem I'm not doing enough a day, week or year. I was loosing confidence. So thanks. Thank you for your authenticity .

[@SDHuston]

Thank you so much for sharing your process and how you reevaluate your goals. I absolutely loved your series on beta readers and used it as a guide for my first novel. Awesome content!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Thank you so much! I’m glad that it and the beta reader series were helpful! (I really need to do a 2023 update that’s better quality haha, those are so old that it’s a little embarrassed! 😂)

[@Avionne_Parris]

Thanks for your unbelievable honesty & transparency in this video, Bethany! I've been so ambitious with my goals in the past & have been embarrassed by the lack of progress. Congrats on your Office Hours course with Jessica Brody's Writing Mastery! And to all those hidden accomplishments that cant be quantified but no doubt contribute to your overall writing career. Go Mama :-)

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Thank you so much Avionne!

[@PositiveWriterr]

Your videos help me feel so much better about my chaotic writing / revising process!! Thank you for this Bethany!

[@76kilosofshade81]

This is where I'm at for my best novel so far (second draft). And I've put it off for 3.5 weeks. Oops. It's nice to see that other writers struggle sometimes as well. Strength in numbers. 😅

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

You're definitely not alone! We can do this!

[@JoLovesToRead]

You are always so motivating. I'm so thankful that you share your journey, the highs and lows. I wanted to be writing my manuscript at the beginning of December last year and I'm still not finished outlining. Slowly, slowly. I had my first baby last year, so definitely resetting my expectations.

[@sarahstangledtales]

I feel ya, I can’t write/edit more than one book at a time either. Thanks so much for being honest about your process and goofs-makes me feel better and that I’m not the only one who messes up! 😜

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

Best wishes with what you choose to read. I'm currently reading the Count of Monte Cristo. I might be some time. Happy reading to you.

[@k.b.peterson8022]

I love the second draft, but may love the third or fourth better lol. Probably because I'm a discovery writer, so my first draft is also kind of my outline. Working on a final draft right now, which I think is my favorite I think because everything's coming together very nicely.

[@camaa_pearl]

The second drafts are so intense, I dread them. I prefer writing another book to diving into second drafts

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

I can relate!

[@jdmoncada8205]

This video is giving me lots of comfort. It's nice to know that I'm not alone in behaving this way. I get so ambitious about what I want to do and what I think I can do. I'm sincere, but the reality is always different. Thankfully, my editor and close circle of CPs tell me to give myself grace to be flexible.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

So happy to hear that, you're definitely not alone! We will get through edits one way or the other haha!

[@gstokker]

Thanks for the video… really good to see… am in editing/second draft hell… finished first draft in August 2022 but have been struggling with the edit as it just feels like an absolute dumpster fire and have so much work… a little longer than 140k word count 🙈

[@gigachadgaming1551]

It seems that the hardest step of the book writing process is the next one 😂

[@Personwhosings]

I wrote my first draft for over a year trying to make it perfect but I'm still crying over my edits 😢😢😢 Hopefully I'll be done by the end of this month 😅

[@jazzminewillis4724]

Thanks!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Absolutely! Thank you Jazzmine!

[@artworkbyrocky]

Ooh. That's a great topic

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Thank you!

[@danbutler6167]

In one of your vids you said you got your Editing done for less than 1K. The lowest I have found so far is 5K, but most are closer to 6K. It's my first book, I know they will have a lot to comb threw. But it still feels like a lot of cash. Thanks for any help you can give.

[@lunawolf6288]

The first draft I never edited so I am gonna write the first draft again and edit it

[@morleywritesbooks]

i'm kind of the opposite, where it's my 3rd round of edits (right before I send it to my editor) that I dread, because the school-age perfectionist in me comes out lol. But I think that's more because I enjoy fleshing out the story with the mindset of "it'll be done when it's done", so I write the first draft slow and tend to go back to make a bit of foreshadowing for a new scene to make sense ^_^;; because I'm a weirdo like that. So reading the draft the first time to light edit (well, the plan is to "light" edit) is kind of relaxing. It's like: I did it! I finished it! Good work brain. . I'm trying to get 4 books out this year. I do want to go on to other projects, but i know if I pause this series, I will forget what was going on, even with an outline lol

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

That’s awesome! And it makes total sense that a different edit would be the more overwhelming one for you based on your editing style, I totally get that!

[@IndianOutlaw1870]

It's true. I just finished a 2nd draft of a short story, and it was a b-tch. It took me over TWO MONTHS. Ughh.

[@AuthorJenniferKrigbaum]

*sigh* This is where I’m at right now…finished my first draft back in may 2022 and have been working on an updated outline for draft two but I hit a spot in the story that needs some serious work. I didn’t know how to fix it and was getting frustrated so I took a break to work on a side project. Now I’m procrastinating because I don’t wanna go back and face the problem 😅

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Yessss!!! I SO relate to that haha-it’s really funny too because even though I know from experience that starting is usually the hardest part and the edits end up being fun after getting over that initial hump, I STILL struggle with this stage with every single book. 😂 so you’re not alone!!

[@saritaschaffter2133]

I have been drafting a book by hand. Since April 14th( the day after my birthday) So as of writing this, out of 160 pages, I wrote 125 pages. I’m trying a technique called Reverse outlining. So I’m writing without outlining. I wanted to see if this method I want to do sometime in the future. This is a passion project. So I don’t feel stressed doing my fantasy mystery trilogy.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

That's so fun! I hope it goes well for you and that you enjoy the journey!

[@alandavies3727]

Hello Bethany I know what you’re going through, I’ve been there myself, I’m on my seventh book in just over a year. I mainly write children’s books. Five two thousand word stories with at least sixteen illustrations per book. I do all the illustrations and the front cover designs myself. But the drawings are redrawn by experts that go in in the books. I love your blogs. I know how hard that you have to work.

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Thank you os much Alan, I really appreciate that! So glad the videos are helpful, and you've got this!

[@fionahowellwrites5302]

I hate the second drafts too. Unless I have an editor telling me what to fix. Haha :)

[@dayawrites]

My BIGGEST Takeaway: "I'm just a one book at a time kind of author." -- You don't have to be someone who works on dozens of books at once to be successful. I think I'm gonna be like that, because so far I have only burnt myself out whilst chasing multiple projects at once. It's nice to see someone I look up to doing the same! Especially in Indie Publishing, I know it's common advice to "put 'em out as fast as you can go go go" but I really do NOT think I'll be able to do that and keep myself afloat. I do know, however, that I'll probably end up writing like 3 books BEFORE even publishing one, just so I have that extra time to work comfortably on other major projects without feeling like I'm falling behind. But in the middle of it all, I'll probably be working one project at a time. And that is a-okay!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Mine too haha! I really need to let that sink in, because I keep forgetting and trying to do too many projects at once lol. Burn out just isn't worth it, so here's to us finding a good balance so we can enjoy the journey as much as the destination! Indie publishing definitely pushes an incredibly fast pace that just isn't doable for 99% of people, but that doesn't mean we can't be successful at a slower pace! :)

[@jaimecole4656]

Every part of writing/publishing takes longer than I think it will. We have to cut ourselves some slack and just celebrate every stage of the journey. :)

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

So so true!!!

[@jaydelfin2217]

How do you avoid mixing re-writing and editing,. When I edit I keep finding ideas that I should have included but did not. How can I minimize that or remove it altogether?

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Why would you want to minimize/stop that? That's a natural and important part of edits, and will almost always improve the story.

[@mycomplicatedlife2488]

Bay-Bay is a year already?!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

He sure is haha! Time flies!

[@smeastwest]

I'm writing my first book, which has turned into a trilogy (hopefully no more than that), and I thought I could write all three first drafts in one year. Then I thought I could finish the first book entirely in one year. I, too, get to totally laugh at myself!

[@gamexpress111]

I also dread to doing drafts for my books. I only wrote chapter one as I just started for my finale trilogy and I'm like: *well, that's enough for me lmao* nice thing about self-published, is that there aren't deadlines unless you, yourself, make it 🤣

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

Haha I get that! And very true!

[@danieldickson3896]

2nd drafts are okay for me, I can get excited with my ideas and improving the story. I hate the draft after beta critique the most. But let's be honest every draft is hard lol

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

The draft after working with betas is also extremely hard for me! I think it’s something to do with the amount of things to fix also being overwhelming haha

[@danieldickson3896]

@@BethanyAtazadeh totally, it's a huge puzzle waiting to be cracked. Everything you change has a domino effect on the rest of the story and your subplots develop more too so it feels like spinning too many plates lol