May 12, 2023 by Sarra Cannon
This has been an incredible week. The sun is shining, my path back to joy is fruitful, and… I finished the first draft of The Disappearance of Vanessa Shaw!!!! I honestly couldn’t be more excited about this book and the progress I’ve been able to make in the past month.
For reference, it’s been almost two years since I finished a full-length novel, and there were times when I wondered if I’d ever be able to do it again, or if the “magic” was just gone forever. If you can relate at all (or if you just want to hear what’s been working and how I finished the draft), definitely check out my Writer Reset series. The new vlog is live now on YouTube.
So, what’s next? Well, every draft is different, in my experience. Sometimes, I can edit a book in just a couple of weeks, but other times, when the draft is particularly a mess, I still need a couple of months to get it where I want it. This one? I think it’s going to need a lot of work!
But as they say, you can’t edit a blank page! I’ve got 80,000 words to work with, and I’m excited to start turning it into a novel I can be proud of.
Personally, I love the editing phase. It’s more fun for me than the drafting, usually. How about you? What’s your favorite stage in the editing process? I’d love to know!
I hope your writing is also going well. I’m cheering you on, and I’m excited to hear about your progress. Head to YouTube and let me know in the comments there or here on the blog what you’re currently working on and which stage of writing you’re in.
Have an amazing weekend, friends!
I have been self-publishing my books since 2010, and in that time, I've sold well over half a million copies of my books. I'm not a superstar or a huge bestseller, but I have built an amazing career that brings me great joy. Here at Heart Breathings, I hope to help you find that same level of success. Let's do this.
