The below post was written for Superversive SF by author Brian Niemerer, whose manuscript I had the honor of reviewing for him last summer.

The Life Cycle of a Manuscript

On a recent episode of Geek Gab, a listener asked me an excellent question: when is a manuscript ready for an editor? That questions got me thinking about my own writing and editing process, because to my knowledge no two writers follow exactly the same steps.

Honestly, my approach to preparing works for submission has varied depending on the length, market, and even genre of the piece; and my system continues to evolve as I learn more from experience and research. (NB: I highly recommend On Writing by Stephen King, especially for newcomers to the craft.)

Nevertheless, I thought I'd give a rundown of my current favored method for writing and revising manuscripts. Who knows? Someone may find it useful.

Outline: most fiction authors create outlines of their novels before the writing actually starts. There's no set format or length for outlines; they can range in size from scene-by-scene summaries of the book to one or two page sketches. Some authors (like King) don't outline at all. Trial and error have shown me that I am not one of them. My novel outlines generally run 5-10 pages; for short stories it's usually 1 or 2–enough to set the bounds of the story and chart the narrative structure.

By way of explanation, I tend to structure each of my novels as a succession of multiple three act or seven point narratives within an overarching frame. So I make sure to note every hook, complication, climax, and resolution in the outline.

First Draft: when I start writing, I more or less follow the outline, filling in the blanks while giving myself enough flexibility to draw outside the lines if it serves the story. I estimate that I stick to the outline about 60 percent of the time, and about 40 percent is improvised.

Only I ever see my first draft. It's not for anyone else.

Second Draft: after letting the first draft ferment a while–sometimes a few weeks–I'll go back for a second pass. This part always involves trimming tons of unnecessary words; sometimes cutting whole scenes to improve pacing. I'll also double check spelling and grammar.

For the rest: Please follow this link and enjoy the rest of Brian's article at Superversive SF.

Thanks, folks!