When is a final draft a FINAL Draft
- dioniemcnair
- Sep 18
- 9 min read
So you have drafted and drafted, edited, cut and added and spell checked. So you have your final draft. You’re happy with your work and just summoning up the courage to cast your ‘baby’ to the wolves of the publishing world.
Stop right there.
I have discovered no matter how many times you read the manuscript you have always missed something. Don’t send you ‘baby’ out there with its shoelaces undone.
My advice is to put it away for a week. Then look at it again. Read it aloud, again. You might be surprised how many bits you change, typos you missed or when you used a passive voice. Read it out loud, feel the pacing, rhythm and nuances. I know you are probably thoroughly sick of it by now. You might never want to see it again, but do that last review anyway. This is your story. Your creation. Give it the love and attention it deserves.
Have you checked for?
1. Repeated words
a. How many times have you used ‘was’
b. Or your favorite words—mine are smiled, shrugged and turned.
c. Use the ‘find’ tool to check it out. Some versions of word will give you the number of times you have used the same word.
2. Have you checked for ‘independently moving body parts? Like ‘his hand covered hers’ instead of ‘he covered her hand with his.’
3. And watch ‘his eyes followed her.’ His eyes remain in his head its his ‘gaze’ that follows her.
4. Have you checked for adverbs – slowly – use ambled or quietly or try tiptoed. Make sure you are expressing the nuances you mean to.
5. How are your paragraphs – too short – too long or for readability, pace and tension varied throughout. There are times to carry your reader forward quickly through action packed or dangerous situations and there is a time to give you reader time to breathe, reflect on and process the narrative – its flavor, its meaning and its consequences.
6. What about your chapters – have you broken at the right place. Don’t just fade out or let your characters fall asleep. Or so might your reader. Leave the reader wanting to turn the page looking for more, looking for answers.
7. How about ‘began’ – your characters should just do things – ‘he began to walk across the room’ use instead ‘he walked across the room’. Its more immediate and realistic.
8. Or a ‘moment’ – long moment or short moment. A moment is just a moment.
9. ‘Feel’ – ‘when he kissed her she felt her breasts tingle’ try instead ‘When he kissed her, her breasts tingled’. Watch out for the ‘feel’. It is distancing the reader from the action.
10. ‘and then’ – editors usually prefer either ‘and’ or ‘then’
11. Have you tidied up loose ends – are all your characters and material items accounted for? Like she had that sword in chapter 10, but where is it now in chapter 13 or at the end. And always account for your characters – don’t just leave them hanging of disappearing leaving your reader wondering where they went.
12. Punctuation, grammar, spelling – read up on the rules if it is not your forte.
13. Have you checked for passive writing
14. Have you checked for ‘show not tell’?
15. Watch for POV. Do not head hop it confuses the reader and they become disenchanted with the story.
16. Watch for redundant words – ‘she waved her hand at them’ should just be ‘she waved at them’
17. Check the scene choreography – make sure that fight or love scene is physically possible. It is not a game of Twister.
18. Watch out for slang or dialects. Some publishers want US English not British. Even Aussie slang should be used with care if you are an Australian author like me or even a Scot’s burr. A touch for a taste but too often can make reading hard for those not familiar. If your book is period or fantasy what is the spoken word like. Is it modern or archaic or a whole new language like Tolkien. Might be a hard one if you are not a linguist .
19. Do the bits that should make the reader cry or laugh make you cry or laugh.
20. Have you followed the submission guidelines to the letter – the right font type and size, double spaced if required. Page breaks, scene delineation. Get it right.
21. And before you press ‘send’ make sure you have attached the files.
I am sure I could add to this list, but as long as you have done your very best, get it out there. No manuscript will get acquired by lying in the bottom of the drawer or in an archived file.
See how my manuscripts, my ‘babies’ are now published novels.
BLURBS
Young Adult: writing as Dionie McNair
FINDING THE UPSDIE OF DOWN.
Being bullied has always been a part of Tabitha Cockells life. Her tormentor Amelia has hounded her since first grade with cruel taunts and name-calling and nasty rumors both face-to-face and online. She attempts suicide but is saved by the guy she has just started dating after he reads her suicide note on Face book.
Survival means she has to face life, but she doesn’t know how until she sees a crew of State Emergency Service volunteers at work. She finds the courage to join and her decision soon has her seeing and understanding life from a whole new perspective.
***************
Adult Fantasy: writing as Emily Tyler
Thrones of Annaticcia series
Book 1: TWIN BETRAYAL
Princess Rosin, legitimate only daughter of the royal marriage is destined to be Queen of Keswin but her twin, Ciara covets the crown. Her lover, Lord Devon also wants the crown and he sixes it in a bloody coup.
While fleeing to safety, Rosin saves and falls in love with a wounded soldier, Arlan, and when no noble will offer marriage, she becomes determined to marry the man she loves.
But Rosin knows she must soon put their potential happiness aside and return and save her throne.
Thrones of Annaticcia series
Book 1: RETRIBUTION AND RESTITUATION
Rosin rails against waiting for the tidal wash determined to save Keswin. On the cusp of the freeze, she enlists the help of Trystan, maligned Dominus of Sanjeva and Lukaz, a Gaudi male, to build a Gaudi ponkini and cross the river. The river almost drowns her, and an avalanche buries her consort and commanders.
Kendra, Arlan and her warriors travel via a secret canyon through the mountains to Cottam Village where with the help of the High Queen’s Battalion they defeat Devon’s army. Garrett tries to kidnap her for Devon. Kendra’s strength and determination in the face of adversity captures the respect and loyalty of her Commanders Carrick, Trystan, her warriors and the people of Cottam.
Commander Ryne, Isolde’s grandson, confirms Arlan is his former common blood warrior, Quinnlan. and an unsuitable consort for Kendra. Ryne oversteps his position and charges Arlan with dereliction of duty and treason. Kendra asserts her authority to bring the needed cooperation for their survival.
The few who remain at the castle have mixed feelings about her return and Kendra faces the monstrous truth about her parents’ rule. A bitter insider helps Devon kidnap her again. She escapes but miscarries her child. Kendra vows she will not live under Devon’s threat and together with Arlan she plans revenge for his abominations and the murder of her child.
With Arlan by her side can Rosin save her realm, defeat Devon and defy the High Queen.
DRAGON SHIFTERS OF DYKARIN
Book 1 ANARCHY
Taminsha, Regent of Aikanshin is broken and dying from Nyket’s savage atteck, but she must survive to fulfil her destiny and save Dykarin from the Era of Darkness.
Death and grief stalk her. Love a peace are transient gifts in the midst of Nyket’s tryanny.
Already stripped of all that matters Taminisha’s will to live is crushed when Nyket cruelly uses her body to breed an heir.
Nyket snatches the newborn from her breast and tries to kill Taminisha. But she escapes with the help of Khoury and the mysterious child Kashwen.
Gravely injured she crash lands on Oventi Island, and stalked from above by Nyket, she begs Spirit to take her hand end her misery.
BOOK 2: SANCTUARY
When Taminisha crash lands on Oventi Island she finds sanctuary instead of death with Khimaera outcasts and the three Siblings.
But that security is threatened as Nyket continues to ravage Dykarin but resistance against him is building.
Rabikan falls to Nyket as Adakan rescues his soulmate Jycosa and flees back to the sanctuary of Mitikan, the only clan still free of the scourge of Nyket.
In Mitikan with Guardian Okeyon’s assistance Larkin rallies the Khimaera, refugees and surviving Ellkiiyn to train and prepare for a final battle against Nyket.
Tarlitek brings Jabrikan the young heir apparent to Aikanshin out of hiding to lead all Ellkiiyn to freedom and restore the true Guardians of the Clans and kill Nyket.
The fight is no longer about equality but subjugation.
Erotic Romance: writing as Cassandra Hawke
BLOOD TIES A BROKEN HEART
When Rylee returns to Adelaide to take over her Godmother’s stables, seeing Ashford St Clair brings back memories of past events—when he’d sacrificed his promising equestrian career and alienated Rylee in the process.
Ash is determined to win Rylee back and they reach an uneasy compromise when their passion for each other is re-ignited
But the deeds of the past still haunt the present threatening their relationship. An old enemy returns to cause trouble for Rylee—Ash’s sister, Arden—the one who brought about Ash’s downfall in the first place. She makes it clear that there is no room for Rylee in Ash’s life and she’ll do anything to make sure the lovers remain apart.
Will Rylee come to terms with the mistakes she and Ash made in the past and learn to love and trust each other again?
DEMOLITION OF THE HEART
Kayla Mackenzie id shocked when she finds out the man she has just made passionate love to is responsible for her priceless paintings being in a charity auction and intends to demolish her beloved family home.
Wade has no idea that his inheritance of historical Ainsley House has been carefully orchestrated and that he is a pawn in a complex plot that will not only deprive Kayla of her beloved family home and her inheritance, but also her life. The thing he hadn’t counted on was the impetus and fiery-tempered Kayla stealing his well-guarded heart before he even knew it was at risk.
Their confrontations are fierce and explosive and they both determinedly maintain joint residence of the historic house, but they find themselves fighting an entirely different battle as the smoldering attraction between them erupts into an inferno of desire and sexual attraction.
They final get to the truth of how the house came to be in Wade’s hands and Kayla claims her inheritance and strikes a business deal with Wade that will save the house.
DEATHY EMBRACE
The ghost of Annie Dunsford is beautiful, passionate and deadly. Revenge is her goal. Sex is her weapon. Logan is her victim. Unless Paige and the unexpected passion he has found with her can save him.
A surprise joint inheritance requires Logan and Paige to live together in the old haunted house for a year. It all seems simple enough. But it is not simple at all.
The ghost of Anni Dunsford haunts the place. Out for revenge the beautiful and deadly Annie seduces Logan and their steamy passionate sexual encounters suck the life out of him leaving him sexually frustrated, drained and afraid to sleep alone.
Logan’s vulnerability sparks something deep in Paige’s soul and the sexual attraction simmering between them explodes into molten hot sex. The ghost is furious at the emotions developing between Logan and Paige, and they find themselves fighting for their lives. Their joint struggle to survive the ghost’s fury and demands for justice brings them closer together and sparks an unexpected passionate new love. But is that love strong enough to save their lives from a spirit who wants only their deaths.
CULTIVATE A LOVE MATCH
When lawyer Blake Gifford comes to re-claim his block of land from the guerrilla gardener’s explosive chemistry sparks between him and their leader, Tya. She breached his carefully built walls and taught his heart to love again with one close encounter. But Tya comes from the wrong side of the tracks and believes she is not worthy of any good man’s love. Six months earlier before Blake jilted his unfaithful fiancé Stephanie at the altar. Now she claims he’s the father of her unborn child and wants them to be a family. Is the baby his? Will it make a difference to how he feels? Is their love enough to vanquish the specter of Tya’s upbringing marred by prostitution, drugs, assault.
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