The waiting game
Much to my surprise I’ve completed my 3rd draft. I reached this point by creating one double spaced file of my 2nd draft. I printed it, then sat with pencil in hand and read it through all in one sitting. When I was done I made a copy of the file, called it the 3rd draft, made the changes, then printed and repeated the process. With each reading I had a different focus. The first read through was for structure, consistency and punctuation errors. The next read through was with an eye on theme, imagery and any obvious doubling up of phrasing or words. The result is a file that serves as my 3rd draft.
My word count is just under 26 000 words. I thought that I’d written more. When I printed the 2nd draft the word count was closer to 30 000, but I was ruthless with my pencil and the delete key when I read and reread. Maybe I’ll write more. I’ll wait for feedback and insights from a few people that have kindly agreed to read it for me. This input will be invaluable because at this point I feel like I’m standing in front of a huge painting so close to it that the tip of my nose touches against the canvas, and I’m trying to see the whole picture from that up-close perspective.
It all makes sense in my head which doesn’t count for much when others read my work.
So now it’s a waiting game before I proceed. I’ll wait for feedback, I’ll wait to assess how and if I should change, edit, add, or better my draft. I’ll wait to see if I have written something engaging for others or only for myself to engage in the sense of purpose that the creative process facilitates.
