I spent January working on the novel I wrote for National Novel Writing Month back in November. I finished my first read-through on Monday. Now, I’ll look at it again and add more detail where it feels thin. I’ll also look at the feedback from my Alpha Readers. However, I’ve already discussed some of the necessary updates with a couple of them. I am still looking at the story with a writer’s eye, looking for the places it feels thin and could use bolstering.

As I read my story for the second time (I don’t count writing it as a read-through), I’m reminded of some of the articles I’ve read over the years about liking the story you write because you’ll be reading it A LOT. I’ve mentioned before that I subscribe to a couple of writing magazines, specifically Writer’s Digest and The Writer. Those are the only two magazines I read cover to cover. They have dispensed invaluable advice to my fledging practice over the years. This is one of the pieces of wisdom passed along by veteran writers. Even though I’m just beginning my journey, I can already appreciate the sentiment.

This time though, I will focus on sub-plots as my first draft got the bones of the story in place. Now I get to flesh out the body of the story and add texture. This means I need to think about things I hadn’t thought much about when I put the skeleton together. While I have separated the story by the number of days over which the action occurs, I’m not sure that’s the best way to break it into “Chapters.” On the other hand, I like the way it looks. I’ll wait and see what my Beta Readers tell me.

I’ll let the story rest for a few days before I jump into the next stage. In the meantime, I’ll work on solidifying the backstories of the support characters and the two main characters. I also need to fill in those things they notice in the background as my protagonists become more aware of the world around them. Not to mention that I need to get more into their heads and convey what they think and feel at any given moment.

This is going to be fun. Stay tuned for more updates as I dive deeper into the story of the half-elf Meegan Redoak and her new life as an adventurer.