How Many Drafts Make One?

 

Last week I mentioned that I like to rest my stories between drafts, but that leads to another question: How many drafts do my manuscripts go through? I usually say “three,” but, as with the time it takes to write a book, the answer isn’t that simple.

Basically, I do three master drafts and numerous lesser ones that I don’t know how to count.

Some writers claim to write the first draft from beginning to end without ever changing a word or even a period, but I’m not sure I believe them. In any event, I can’t do that. I am constantly rewriting as I write, often changing the sentence I just completed. Then I send the story off in pieces to my critique partners and incorporate their comments before starting on the next version. So if you want to be technical, that means that what I call the first draft is actually the second or third or fourth or fifth . . .

When I do what I call my second draft, I make the original changes on a paper copy and often refine them while transferring them to the computer. Then, depending on the significance of the changes, I may or may not send that draft off to my critique partners.

That is followed by a quick review to prepare the manuscript for my beta readers. I call that a “polish draft” but don’t put a number on it.

After I get the comments back from my beta readers, I do what I consider to be my third and final draft. Again, I make additional changes as I go along and I may or may not send it to my critique partners.

One more final polish, and off the manuscript goes to my copy editor. Then I make the changes I agree with before submitting it to agents or publishers.

So how many drafts do you count?