Why I Love Second Drafts

My girl is getting her hair did and I'm seated in the waiting room, right near the ladies restroom with its flushing and echoing sounds of... all sorts of things. 

But I'm happy. Know why? Cuz I'm now working the second draft of Number Three of the Elouise Norton series. 

And this is the first page of Chapter 4 which used to be Chapter Three.

That's a wonderful thing about second drafts. That and a few other things:

--using my favorite tools like my Staedtler pencils, stickie notes of every size and color

--writing everywhere on the page

--name changes cuz you now know the people you're writing about

-- research being more direct cuz you know what your story is about

--crossing out and stet-ing and lines

--new titile cuz again you know what your story is about.

There be monsters off in the second draft -- and here is where you slay them and create your own. 

Second drafts? I feel in control. And as a control freak, I can dig it! 

Even as some woman is peeing in a tiny room three feet away from me.