Make changes to your story

Before changing your story, save it as a new version in Microsoft Word or Apple Pages or Notepad or whichever application you’re using. Most writers use a date as part of the name, or Version 2, or some other way to identify that the story is changed from the original version.

Use the feedback you’ve received to make modifications and adjustments to your story. In some cases, the re-writing can be extensive. Don’t feel bad if this occurs. Many first drafts are extensively reworked. Even professional writers in Hollywood see their stories undergo major changes. In fact, there are people paid very well exclusively to re-write story drafts from other writers.

Go through the same process on the second draft as your original. Create the first revision of the second draft, incorporating the feedback you’ve deemed worthy of accepting, making changes based on your deeper understanding of the story. Once complete, take a day or two away from the revision to clear your mind. Return after the break and make more adjustments. Then you’ll be ready to publish the new draft. (See the next lesson.)