A friend told me that I am always posting about finishing a draft. That is because I am always drafting—either finishing a draft, starting a draft, or typing up edits on a draft. That is what writers are doing when they are working on a book. They write one draft, then another one, and another one, until they get there.

Welp, I finished draft 2 of the YA novel and turned it into my editor. I am eternally fascinated by how books grow. It’s almost like children, they are the size you would expect for a while, but then one day you look up and they’ve grown. This draft if thicker, more balanced, more in-depth, and more relationship-driven than the last.

Right into the final moment, I was prepared to write a letter to my editors saying, “These are the loose threads. I’ll catch it in the next draft.” But as I typed up my edits and updated my plot chart, I started to make connections and came up with a new plot pint that tied everything together and pushed toward the next book.

I absolutely love how being in the process brings solutions. That’s one of the reasons I work hard not to pressure myself about “knowing” at the outset. There are things you can’t know until you finish the first draft. Other things you can’t know until you finish the second. All of these things came together after I completed the third draft. It’s a beautiful thing. (I hope the editors agree, lol.)

I have three weeks before I get editorial notes and have to start all over again. But I have my pen in hand and I’m READY!

Onward!