From first draft to second draft...?

Question

Hi! I was curious, for those who wrote two drafts for a book, how much did your first draft differ from your second? I've heard of some who have said that the first draft is close to a copy of the second one. Others, however, have said that it wasn't another draft, it was a sequel. How much did the plot change? Did it end up being a completely different ending? Thanks in advance for any answers! :)

Answer 1

Haha, I wrote a book, then I revised it. The whole entire plot was changed. The good guy lost and the bad guy won. Whoever said that its a copy, must have been a completely different writer than me.

-Livvy

Answer 2

It was the same, and it was different.  The first draft was pretty much bare bones, getting down everything I wanted ro say w/o much of the niceties.  It was raw but the potential practically made the pad of paper crinkle w/ electric currents.  (I always write the rough or first draft on legal pads w/ a fountain pen. It makes the characters more alive to me as I give descriptions of them & the setting.  I can "hear" their thoughts).  Then when I started inputting it onto the computer I fleshed the story out more. I read the dialog out loud to test how it sounded & made corrections as well as additions & subtractions.

I guess what I'm saying is the germane core was there, but the peripherals changed at times. I always have a few endings in mind, but the final decision is rather nebulous until I'm satisfied close to the end & can make a decision.