Revision

I force myself to write that first draft and call it a 'vomit pass,' just so I won't be precious about it.

– M. Night Shyamalan

You're finally ready for some rewriting. Some people do ten drafts before it's done. Others 40. Others 100. Just do it until it's right.

Here's an interesting article on how to make the second draft the final draft. In theory, yes, I suppose it's possible to only revise once, but you have to be extremely disciplined and know your stuff before you can get to that point. That method might take some practice. Let's start out slowly.

Sub-categories for revision

1. Murder your darlings

2. Style

3. Characters

4. Structure

5. Reading

6. Critiques

7. Research

8. Genre and Audience