A little over a year ago, I finished the first draft of a novel I’ve been working on for quite some time.
It was an amazing feeling! But I knew that I wasn’t done with it. So I began to do extensive research into what to do next.
Here is my general overview about next steps once you’ve completed the first draft of your novel:
Step 1: Celebrate!
You have just written a novel, and that is amazing! Most people who say they’re going to write a novel never start, and most who start never finish, so the fact you’ve made it this far is a real accomplishment. So do something to celebrate that!
As you do this, you might want to take a little bit of time away from the book. You need at least a little bit of distance between you and it before you decide what direction you will take it in. How much time can vary greatly; it could be a week, a month, three months. The important thing is that you have enough time to be able to see it for what it is, and not what you want it to be.
(If you take a longer amount of time before going back to this novel and assessing it, then I recommend taking on some smaller projects in the meantime; write a short story or novella, read and review some books, write some blog posts. Just because you take a three-month break from your novel doesn’t mean you should take a three-month break from writing.)
This is also a good time to have one trusted person read it and give you initial feedback. This person is your alpha reader. They can help you as you make the next decisions about your novel. (My wife is my alpha reader.)
After you’ve celebrated and gotten some distance between you and the novel, it is time for Step 2: Figure Out Your Goals For Your Novel.
