The first major revision of your manuscript after completing the initial draft, focused on big-picture story problems.
The second draft is where you take the raw material of your first draft and shape it into something that actually works. This isn't about fixing typos or polishing sentences. It's about tackling structural problems, strengthening character arcs, cutting scenes that don't earn their place, and filling in the gaps you skipped during the initial push. Many writers consider the second draft the hardest phase because it requires you to be both creative and critical at the same time.
Your first draft gets the story out of your head. Your second draft makes it readable. Most published novels look almost nothing like their first drafts, and the second draft is where the biggest transformation happens. Skipping or rushing this stage is the single most common reason manuscripts feel "almost there but not quite."
King describes the second draft as "the first draft with the door open" - where you shift from writing for yourself to writing for the reader, cutting at least 10% of the word count.
Lamott's famous advice about terrible first drafts implicitly emphasizes that the second draft is where real writing begins. The first draft is just getting clay on the wheel.
Fitzgerald's original manuscript was significantly restructured in the second draft with heavy input from editor Maxwell Perkins, including reordering chapters and refining Gatsby's backstory.
Don't polish sentences in chapters you might cut entirely. The second draft is for structural and story-level changes. Save the sentence-level work for later drafts.
Do focused passes: one for plot structure, one for character arcs, one for pacing. Trying to fix every problem simultaneously leads to overwhelm and half-finished revisions.
The second draft is where you need to be ruthless. If a subplot isn't working, cut it. If a character needs a different motivation, rewrite their scenes. Save your first draft file and be bold.
Jumping straight from first to second draft means you'll miss the same problems you missed while writing. Let the manuscript rest so you can see it clearly.
Open the first draft of a story or chapter you've completed. Before making any changes, create a reverse outline: write one sentence summarizing what each scene accomplishes for the plot and character arc. Circle any scene where you can't clearly state its purpose. Those circled scenes are your starting points for the second draft.