How to approach writing your second novel
BY Leah Pitt
17th Jul 2025
Thriller author Leah Pitt studied on our online Writing Your Novel – Three Months course in 2021. After the course she gained representation from Curtis Brown literary agent, Rosie Pierce. Her debut novel The Beach Hut was released in 2024. Here she draws on her experience of writing her second novel The Funfair to provide some handy tips for writers embarking on writing book two.
The first time I wrote a novel (and by this, I mean one that I actually finished and isn’t languishing in a drawer ten years later), I had absolutely no idea what I was doing: it was like gearing up for a marathon for the first time.
Writing book two was a very different experience . . . so here are my tips if you’re about to tackle your second novel.
1. Find – and own – your process
Depending on your journey to this point, book two is often where you start to find your process and can identify the patterns and routines you’ve carried over from book one.
I’m an obsessive plotter and love a detailed chapter outline before putting pen to paper . . . and yet I completely ignored that. For some reason, I decided to plough blindly ahead, wrote a whole first draft . . . and then had to gut and restructure it. I got there in the end, but I made it much harder than it needed to be. Own and trust your unique process.
2. Celebrate the milestone
People often talk about ‘writing a book’ in the singular. Everything is so focused on that first attempt and its associated outcome. I never gave much thought to a second novel because I had never properly finished a first one.
When I did start to plan my second one, it felt almost surreal. Writing books is incredibly difficult so if you’re ready to go again – regardless of whether book one got you a deal or perhaps stayed tucked away in that drawer – celebrate it. It means you have grit and passion . . . it means you finished book one.
3. Plan your time
One of the biggest differences with book two was, inevitably, the deadlines. With book one, I was the sole person who decided when it was ready to submit. With book two, multiple people were involved.
Given the expected turnaround was a year, I found it essential to roughly plan when I needed to finish my first draft, how long my agent and beta-readers would need to read, and then anticipate time for working on edits from my publisher. The Beach Hut had very few notes at all; The Funfair needed an almost complete overhaul at one point. You can’t predict everything, but you can try to be as prepared as possible. Regardless of whether your timeframe is contractual, or personal to you, plan ahead and honour your deadlines.
4. Don’t forget your alpha and beta readers
I have absolutely no doubt that my first novel became what it was because of my incredible alpha reader and beta readers, who were extremely generous with their time and honest feedback.
You might not need to rely on early readers quite so heavily if you’re writing book two with an agent and/or editor – but in my opinion, they are still crucial. They are the people who stop you from writing into the void, who make sure your final draft is in the best place possible before you show it to the world. I’m guilty of being a little impatient in this space, but early readers are just as important for book two (and beyond) as they are for book one.
5. Don’t reinvent the wheel
There were moments when I worried that The Funfair was too similar to my debut. The nostalgia, the tone, the dual timelines. Was I a one-trick pony?
Thankfully, I came to realise that those themes are the reason I show up at my laptop in the first place. That’s my style. My voice.
One of the reasons I reach for the latest releases from my favourite authors is because I know what I’m likely to get – and I trust them to deliver. So while the plot itself will, of course, be different, it’s okay to maintain your personal voice and the elements you’re drawn to. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel with every book.
6. Approach it like it’s book one again
When I found myself struggling with book two, I somehow slipped into the trap of thinking that book one had come to me more easily, that everyone had really liked it, and that book two was somehow the real test and wouldn’t measure up.
My good friend and alpha reader reminded me just how difficult book one had actually been and I realised I was looking at it through rose-tinted glasses. So I put all thoughts of book one out of my mind and acted as though this was the first book I had ever written. It worked: I rediscovered that same energy and motivation.
7. It gets easier
I learnt so much from writing books one and two that, thankfully, book three is proving much more enjoyable. I know my panic points, what to expect, how I like to plot. I’m in more of a routine and make sure I stick to it.
Ultimately, if you can sit down at that blank screen, look at that fresh piece of paper – after everything you’ve put into book one – and feel that same shiver of excitement . . . that’s all that really matters. Enjoy it!
I can be found on Instagram as @leahpittbooks.
The Funfair is out now in paperback!
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