Writers in the Storm

by Janice Hardy

You thought you were done—until you read your draft again.

The first time I finished a first draft, I celebrated with an entire box of chocolate. I’d completed a novel! All that stood between me and a polished manuscript I could start submitting to agents was one quick pass to clean things up. How hard could a second draft be, right?

I poured my heart and soul into that next draft, and followed all the advice I’d read about. I revised my manuscript into what I was sure was a solid book ready to go.

Then I read it again.

Yikes. My “brilliant plot” had holes you could drive a tank through. My “witty banter” made me cringe. My protagonist came across as whiny and inconsistent. That second draft was a disaster, and for a moment, I seriously wondered if I should ditch the whole thing and start over.

A messy second draft doesn’t mean you got it wrong—it means you’re actually seeing what you need to do to get it right.

That emotional high from finishing a draft is real—and well earned, ’cause this stuff is hard. But once the celebration is over and you read it again, the flaws jump out.

It’s not just disappointing, it feels like the whole book is falling apart and you wasted all that time writing junk. But here’s the truth: every writer goes through this. That drop from confidence to self-doubt is a normal part of the process. Your story isn’t broken, it’s just ready for the next stage of its journey (and so are you).

Why the Second Draft Feels Like Failure

A first draft is about getting the story down. It’s raw and instinctive, often written on the momentum of discovery. But the second draft? Ugh. That’s where the critical brain kicks in.

• You see the plot connections you missed.
• You notice the flat dialogue because you hadn’t figured out who those characters were yet.
• You realize your protagonist’s character arc doesn’t suit the great theme you added halfway through.

This shift from drafting to analysis can be brutal, especially when the manuscript doesn’t live up to your original vision. But don’t worry. You’re just seeing the opportunities to make it better. The things you couldn’t have noticed until that first draft was down and the story was out of your head.

The Good News? It Means You’re Growing

Feeling discouraged in your second draft usually means you’ve improved as a writer since you started the book.

You’ve learned new skills. You’ve strengthened a skill you once sucked at. The better your craft gets, the higher your standards get, and that’s a good thing. It shows where you’ve grown and how far you’ve come in just one draft.

Revisions Are Refinements

Think of your manuscript like a block of marble. That first draft is just carving out the rough shape of the idea and getting the story onto the page. You might even be the only one who can see the story lurking there.

But the second draft is when the real sculpting begins.

That’s where you smooth the rough spots and bring out the hidden beauty buried beneath the surface. You’ll chip away pieces you love, but you’ll be smart (and strong) enough to realize they don’t serve the story. You’ll leave chips and dust everywhere, and yes, sometimes it feels like you’re making it worse instead of better.

But this is when your story starts to emerge.

You’re making intentional choices instead of instinctual ones. Strengthening the story and ditching what doesn’t belong, and turning it into the book you imagined when you first sat down to write it.

Don’t Despair When It All Feels Hopeless

Facing a challenging revision is disheartening, and I’ve been there so, so many times. A rough second draft can feel overwhelming. Heck, I’ve had third and fourth drafts that tried to kill me, too (but that’s another post).

Instead of spiraling into self-doubt, take these steps:

1. Make a plan.

Read through your draft and take notes. Not just on what’s broken, but what feels off, underdeveloped, or unnecessary. Group your notes into categories like plot, character, pacing, dialogue, and description. Then break each category down into specific, actionable steps. A checklist gives you direction, keeps you from feeling lost, and lets you celebrate each win as you work through the list.

2. Focus on strengths.

It’s easy to obsess over what’s not working, but take time to note the scenes, characters, or lines that do work. These are your story’s anchors—the parts that already reflect your vision. Read them again and ask yourself why they’re strong. Is it the voice? The pacing? The emotional impact? Let those scenes set the bar for the rest of your draft and bring the weaker parts up to the same level. Not only does this give you something to strive for, it reminds you that the great stuff is already there.

3. Do one pass at a time.

Revision can feel overwhelming when you’re trying to fix everything at once. Instead, focus on one element per pass and ignore the rest until you’re ready for it. Maybe your first pass is just for structural fixes—tightening plot, removing or moving scenes. Once that’s done, shift to character development. Then pacing. Then dialogue. Layering your edits makes the work more manageable and helps you stay focused and consistent.

Looking at your second draft objectively allows you to see the cracks, the soft spots, and the pieces that need shoring up. This is where a rough draft starts becoming a real novel.

Even when you’re chipping away pieces, you’re revealing what matters most.

So keep going. You’ve already done the hard part—you finished a freaking novel. Celebrate that. Reward yourself and take pride in all the work you put into it. Now it’s just a matter of shaping what’s already there into the story you always knew it could be.

EXERCISE FOR YOU:

Take five minutes and list three things you love about your draft and three things you know you want to fix. Use that list as a starting point to prepare yourself to dive into revising that second draft.

A quick heads up! I’m talking more about revision during the Book Sales School Summit this Friday (June 13th).

My session covers how to approach revision in three layers (story, structure, and line edits) along with how to spot weak stakes, fix pacing through structure, and avoid common traps like editing too early (and more).The summit is FREE for a limited time, but there’s an option to buy it to rewatch it.

What’s the hardest emotional hurdle you face during revisions—and how do you work through it? Please share your story with us down in the comments!

About Janice

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author and founder of the popular writing site Fiction University, where she helps writers improve their craft and navigate the crazy world of publishing. Not only does she write about writing, she teaches workshops across the country, and her blog has been recognized as a Top Writing Blog by Writer’s Digest. She also spins tales of adventure for both teens and adults, and firmly believes that doing terrible things to her characters makes them more interesting (in a good way). She loves talking with writers and readers, and encourages questions of all types—even the weird ones.

Find out more about writing at www.Fiction-University.com, or visit her author’s site at www.JaniceHardy.com. Subscribe to her newsletter to stay updated on future books, workshops, and events and receive her ebook, 25 Ways to Strengthen Your Writing Right Now, free.

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Top featured photo purchased from Depositphotos.

by James R. Preston

"Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live." - Gustave Flaubert

You love books. If you didn’t love books and stories you wouldn’t be here. 

I love books, too, always have. I think we should take a break from studying the art & craft of writing, c’mon, how about a few minutes spent telling stories of our early experiences with books and reading? Don’t worry— I have a purpose in mind. We’ll get to that. 

My Earliest Books

I started collecting books when I was nine years old, really. Some relative gave me The Hardy Boys: The Tower Treasure and I was hooked. All at once I realized, looking at the fly leaf, that there were other books about Frank and Joe and their pals.

At once I started marking the list on the dust jacket to keep track of the ones I owned. When my birthday arrived with five dollars from my grandmother I begged my mother to take me to the Robinson’s department store so I could hit their book section.

My next round of authors

But it hasn’t always been fun, oh, no!

My cousin introduced me to Ian Fleming and from there I went on to Donald Hamilton and Matt Helm. (If you’ve had the misfortune to sit through any of Dean Martin’s Matt Helm movies please forget them and find the books. A singing spy! Gag me!)

Anyway, the Matt Helm paperbacks were where the trouble started. I went to the drug store in El Segundo, CA where I bought many of my paperbacks and found a new thriller called Murderer’s Row. The cover had a young woman in a party dress wading out of the surf with one strap down over her shoulder.

The old guy behind the counter took one look at her, pushed the book back toward me as if he didn’t like touching it, and said, “Oh, you don’t want that.” I was in junior high so I didn’t understand; I just started going on “This is a new Donald Hamilton and I think he’s as good as Ian Fleming, and the stories are about a spy named Matt Helm and” and on and on. (I didn’t understand that he thought I was buying something like Topless Hotties from Outer Space.)

I wore him down and got the book.

Then I switched library sections

Now the game’s afoot! Sherlock Holmes — wow! I found The Complete Sherlock Holmes in the El Segundo public library, in the Adult section when I was about twelve. I had to enlist parental help to get a card (the librarian told my mother “We have a fine Children’s section” to which my mother replied “Yes. He’s read them.”

I got an Adult card ahead of my time.

Here’s the commercial: support your local library. They need all the help they can get.

I brought the book home around noon, started reading and only looked up because it was getting too dark to see. I’ll never forget it.

Another birthday, another present from Grandmother, and another trip to Robinson’s where I found a hardback Sherlock, except .  .  . 

The lady didn’t want to sell it to me, explaining that I’d be better off with The Boys Sherlock Holmes. This time I could not convince her so I found my mother, who explained that I’d already read the whole thing and now wanted a copy for my collection. 

I got the book. 

I wasn’t always fighting for a book.

There were occasionally unexpected benefits. For example, Frank Herbert’s Dune almost got me a job.

A couple of us were picked out of Trigonometry to interview with Computer Science Corporation for summer jobs. The interviewer asked what I liked to read and I said I was reading and loving Dune serialized in Analog Science Fiction magazine. He was too, and loved it and said if my friend didn’t take the job I could have it.

He was sailing through Trig; I was slogging and was glad when he got the job. But I sure liked talking to an adult about the Harkonnens and the worms. 

“We read to know we are not alone." - C.S. Lewis

I’ve seen film of soldiers waiting in landing craft, waiting to pick up a rifle and wade ashore at D-Day — reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Larry Niven tells the story of an Israeli soldier who carried one of his books through the Six- Day War. My godson carried a copy of Heinlein’s Starship Troopers on his first deployment to the Middle East.

Books, stories, helped them all. 

My father collected westerns.

He assembled a complete set of novels by B. M. Bower, who had to use initials to disguise the fact that she was a woman. He and I used to go book hunting together and on one of those trips I found the book you see above. How traveled it has been!

• The USS Sitkoh Bay
• Travis Air Force Base
• then a library
• Salvage
• and then to a used bookstore.

Now I have it. The stories it could tell!

The stories you can tell!

I promised a purpose to this essay and there it is. Books, stories, are important. The line stretches back to the storyteller relating the adventures of Beowulf and his Spear Danes, forward to — you.

So, when you wake up at 2:00 a. m. and think, “Oh, man, I don’t know what happens next,” take heart. You’re in good company. You’re not alone. From campfire to keyboard, you’re not alone.

So — Who? Who? Who wrote the Book of Love? Why, you did, along with the many others who came before us.

And thanks to this award-winning blog you’re really not alone, because now it’s your turn. I know you all have similar tales about stories and what they meant to you. Help your fellow ink-stained wretches and share some. Please. It’s important, just as your work is important. 

To end -- a few words from my favorite band:

“Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book? It took me years to write, will you take a look?”

With a little help from our friends, we can all be paperback writers. That’s a hint. Not a big enough hint? From Flaubert to Paul McCartney – that’s quite a range, providing room for all of us.

About James

James R. Preston is the author of the multiple-award-winning Surf City Mysteries. He is currently at work on the sixth, called Remains To Be Seen. His most recent works are Crashpad and Buzzkill, two historical novellas set in the 1960’s at Cal State Long Beach. Kirkus Reviews called Buzzkill “A historical thriller enriched by characters who sparkle and refuse to be forgotten.” His books are collected as part of the California Detective Fiction collection at the University of California Berkeley. 

Find out more about James at his website.

Top photo from Unsplash.

by Sarah "Sally" Hamer

Ah, writing. That glorious pursuit of creativity, passion, and—let's be real—occasional existential despair. We writers open that proverbial vein and drip blood on the page, dress our “babies” in pretty words, and present them for the world to see.

Then comes the criticism and the rejection and the telling us that “our babies are ugly and we dress them funny.” Unbelievable! How can they not think it’s the greatest thing they’ve ever read? How can they not just send us a million dollar check and set up a publicity tour? What’s wrong with them?

Or…

We find out that the editor who actually is thinking about taking us on and has told us how good we are, has quit the business and become a forest ranger. (This actually happened to someone I know. She was worried that the former editor was using her manuscript as a fire starter.) Or, we get the query letter envelope back in the mail with a note scrawled across it: “Wish I liked it but I don’t.” (Also a true story!)

Then comes the sulking. And the crying into our pillow. And even the “I’m never writing again!” statement.

Unfortunately, these things happen. Even non-writing strangers have a say-so and can give you a one-star rating because the book didn’t get there for her mother’s birthday. But it’s okay. Because you’re not writing for her mother anyhow.

So, how do we feel better about this crazy, soul-sucking business?

Here’s a short list:

1. Don’t take it personally

Just because someone doesn’t like your work, it doesn’t mean that everyone won’t like your work. Really, if everyone only liked one kind of book, there’d only be one book. You may have to work a little to find that perfect match between your style and someone who likes that style, but I guarantee someone out there will. Don’t let criticism wear you down.

2. Remember why you write.

If it’s just for the money, then you may need to grow a thicker skin. But if it’s because you can’t NOT write, because writing is in your soul and you can’t imagine not writing, then what others think is not important. Yes, you may not ever sell a book. That happens. But, if you write because you love it, it will bring you pleasure.

Writing is a roller coaster. Period. Some days you’re going to love every minute, no matter what the chaos, and some days are soul-sucking. The sooner you accept that, the better. Embrace the highs, survive the lows, and remind yourself that even bestsellers were first drafts at some point.

3. Perfection is a Myth (and the Enemy)

Editing is essential, but perfectionism? A creativity killer. Some of the greatest stories were written by people who dared to put words on the page, even when they felt imperfect. Be kind to yourself—your first draft is just that: the first. No one’s expecting a masterpiece straight away (except maybe your inner critic, who really needs a vacation).

4. Find Your People

Writing can be lonely, but it doesn't have to be! Connect with other writers, whether online or in person. Surrounding yourself with a supportive community can help you weather rejection, celebrate wins, and share in the collective struggle of "why is writing so hard today?" Because we all have them.

5. Take Breaks—Seriously

Nothing fuels burnout faster than staring at a blank page. Get up out of the chair. Take a walk. Call someone you trust. Sometimes, I take a shower and pretend it’s a warm waterfall to help wash the critical thoughts away. Give your brain space to breathe, and watch your creativity flow again. NOTE: This is not an excuse to procrastinate. Set a time limit and get back to writing. Because it is what we love.

6. Rejection is Part of the Deal

Rejection. Why does it hurt so badly? Even the greats were told "no" at some point. But it helps us to grow into better writers. We learn from rejection, even if it’s only to be okay with ourselves. So, when rejection comes, allow yourself a moment of frustration, then remind yourself: it’s not personal, it’s just the process. Keep going.

7. Remember Why You Started

At the end of the day, writing isn’t just about publication, deadlines, or impressing the internet—it’s about the joy of storytelling. The magic of words. The thrill of creating something that never existed before. Hold onto that magic, and you’ll stay sane amid the chaos.

Writing may be wild, unpredictable, and occasionally maddening, but it's also one of the most rewarding journeys. So, laugh at the messy drafts, be kind to yourself on tough days, and keep going—because the world needs your words.

Learning Opportunity!

Join Sally, Margie Lawson, Lisa Norman, Jenny Hansen, four other amazing writers, and a panel of agents for an online symposium, Staying Sane in the Publishing World, on June 21st and 22nd. Email sally (at) mindpotential (dot) org for more information.

Now, tell me—what kind of writing adventure are you currently on? Can you think of another way to stay sane? Please share it with us in the comments section!

About Sarah (Sally)

Sarah (Sally) Hamer, B.S., MLA, is a lover of books, a teacher of writers, and a believer in a good story. Most of all, she is eternally fascinated by people and how they 'tick'. She’s passionate about helping people tell their own stories and has won awards at both local and national levels, including two Golden Heart finals.

A teacher of memoir, beginning and advanced creative fiction writing, and screenwriting at Louisiana State University in Shreveport for over twenty years, she also teaches online for Margie Lawson at www.margielawson.com and for the No Stress Writing Academy at https://www.worldanvil.com/w/classes-deleyna/a/no-stress-writing-academy.  Sally is a free-lance editor and book coach, with many of her students and clients becoming successful, award-winning authors.

You can find her at info@mindpotential.org

Top photo purchased from Depositphotos.