Curious where Kim really is in the writing process? Read on!

Hi! Some of you (one of you) asked me to share more detail about what I mean by a "completed draft" and where I am in the process. So, I've done my best to answer the burning questions that I know keep you up at night. Read on and I'm sure falling asleep will not be a problem.

Q: In Countdown to a RomCom Novel, you said you'd completed Draft 1. What do you mean by that? Are you telling us you created a logo and slapped it on mugs, pens and stickers before you'd even finished the first draft?

A: That's two questions, but I'll let it slide. At the end of 2023, I had some complete scenes, wordy outlines and pages with "insert brilliant narrative and witty dialog here." Some scenes had ten or more versions, none of which felt right.

For Draft 1, I waded through the muck and wrote one full draft of the novel with a complete plot and character arcs for my hero and heroine. Through that writing process, I identified things to add, change and delete in Draft 2.

As for the slapping of the logo, technically, that's true. Wait, let me explain! Writing a novel when you're accountable to no one but yourself is difficult. So, I did some things to increase my odds.

1. Set clear goals: I know what I need to do, how to do it, and when it needs to be done

2. Went public: Now I'm letting other people down if I don't follow through

3. Raised the stakes: imagine using a Kim Clarke RomCom Author pen if I don't finish the novel (shudder!)

Q: Okay, so what do you mean by "Draft 2"? Try to be less wordy this time.

A: There were parts of the plot and character development that didn't quite work. Actions and reactions that didn't feel genuine. Not enough tension. Not enough heat. So, I'm working through those issues and tightening up the flabby bits (not that flabby is bad!)

I'm also making note of things to address during the editing phase (Didn't she have blue eyes before? What happened to the kitchen island? Why does she have an English accent in chapter seven?) It's like Draft 1, but with a stronger jaw and a five-o'clock shadow.

Q: You stated that Draft 2 will be done by July 31, 2024. How far along are you?

A: As of July 3, 60% complete.

Q: You totally made that up.

A: I didn't! It's a very precise estimate. Extremely inaccurate, but very precise. According to the infallible Internet, a romantic comedy novel should be 80,000 words, no less and no more. Okay, I made that last part up, but roughly 80K is true. I made a spreadsheet with scene and word counts that recalculates my progress every day. It's not a goal, just a tracker so I have a sense of my progress. And I like seeing the percentage increase.

Q: But if you decide to add more scenes and list them on your spreadsheet before you write them, your percent completed will decrease, making that number completely unreliable.

A: That's not a question.

Q: What about quality? You haven't said anythi–

A: Oh, look at the time. I've really enjoyed our chat. But now I have to get back to writing. Talk to you soon!