Second and Third Drafts -- Simultaneous Revisions

My middle grade fantasy is still progressing. I am one third of the way through the second draft, and about one eighth of the way through the third draft.

How can I be working on the second and third draft at the same time? Simple. The second draft is all about me and the page, revising the novel chapter by chapter, making it the best i can all by my lonesome. The third draft happens orally. I have been reading it out loud to my eldest daughter. (I hope she doesn't mind being my first audio book beta-reader.)

Reading my work out loud to another person helps me understand what works and what doesn't. If Mackenzie laughs at the funny parts, I know I'm on the right track. If she gasps at the exciting parts, then i know I'm raising the stakes at the right moment. Even when she isn't verbally responsive, I'm still getting a good third draft done because just by me reading it out loud is incredibly helpful to me. It really helps with the sentence clarity and the over all flow.

Well, enough blogging! Back to the revision!