Thanks to Dan Alatorre for this advice on writing a second draft.

Dan Alatorre

dan your humble host

It’s a second draft.

For me, that means it’s probably a second coat of paint – but in a different color. It’s time to find places to dive deep.

Yes, that’s a mixed metaphor. So is a second draft.

I’m not talking about typos and commas. That’s different. I’m talking about finishing a story and letting it rest, and then attacking it again.

And it’s an attack.

Because you’re going to be ruthless.

A lot of times we get an idea for a story and the energy just bursts forth, and we start writing – and after a few thousand words the energy is gone and we’ve hit the wall. Writers block. The abyss (one of many you find yourself in as a writer). Whatever you want to call it, you run out of steam.

One way to avoid that is to outline your story so…

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