There are days where I feel on top of the world, “my book is amazing! I’m so clever,” IMMEDIATELY followed by “this is horseshit, what was I thinking?!” I’ve come to understand this is a very normal part of the novel-writing process, but damn if it isn’t an emotional roller coaster.

For today though, I’m feeling really good. I have about three more chapters to write and I am itching to get to the editing stage. I love editing, always have, and so I really can’t wait for this part of the process. Being excited to edit is actually a big part about why my previous WIP’s didn’t make it very far. I would continuously stop and edit rather than just push through and get words on the page. I learned a few months ago that you shouldn’t do that so I’ve been forcing myself to just finish the first draft. I definitely think it’s the better process for me.

Some of the things I will be changing when I go back and edit:

1. Get rid of the spice. As I’ve been writing, it’s become clear that these characters need a slow-burn romance, friends-to-lovers type deal.
2. Getting rid of one of the characters. When the love interest enters the book, I had always envisioned him as traveling with a companion, and while I liked his friend, I felt like he takes away from the other characters. Like he spreads the dialogue and character development too thin and by not having him, my MMC gets more play time and growth. But ugh, that’s going to take a lot of re-writing to get him out.
3. I definitely want to do more world building and I have a whole list of ideas that I’ll be incorporating into the earlier scenes that will come back in later parts of the book. I think this is the part I’m most excited about!

I’m sure there will be other things (typos, new characters and scenes, etc.) but these are the the three major changes that will be happening in (hopefully) a few weeks time.

My goal is to finish the first draft by the end of this month, which should be attainable, but you never know when writer’s block will strike.

I’d love to hear about your writing process. Do you edit as you go? Plow through to get a draft done? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Please share in the comments–I’d love to chat!