With revising, if your first draft is all over the place then I’d map out your plot. Like actually map it out on a poster board or something with index cards and sticky notes so you can shuffle them around and figure out where they all go and if anything should be omitted or added.
I’d definitely recommend getting to know your characters better. Even an extremely well-written story falls flat if the characters don’t feel three-dimensional to the reader. Take personality tests for the main characters. Answer a bunch of questions about them like favorite memory, biggest regret, first kiss, etc. Also give each character, but especially the main(s) a misguided belief (if they don’t have one already) and make sure it’s clear to you why they believe that way (childhood trauma, bad luck in life, indoctrination), what their goals are in relation to this belief, and how the story is going to change them for better or worse (change to good/correct belief, switch to worse belief, reaffirm bad belief). Do this to sub-characters too, but not as in-depth. Maybe even write some scenes of backstories or major moments from your main character’s life that will never make it in the book but will give you a better idea of who they are.
After making sure your plot and characters are solid, start working on your second draft based on the first one and make changes along the way as needed. Once you get a more cohesive draft, share some of it with a few people and ask them at what point do they get bored, what’s confusing, what’s exciting, etc. Also, download an app that reads your draft document out loud to you so you can pick up on weird phrasing or overused words and see how it all flows together.
As for your new story idea, maybe try writing the key scenes and plot points that keep floating around in your head. I find that as I write a scene, ideas will come to me about sub-plots or new directions to take the character or their underlying desire. Think about how you can turn the event into a catalyst for the character to either begin an adventure or discover something new about themselves. What do they want and how are you, and this event, going to keep them from getting it? Are you going to make it better or worse for them? Or give them what they want in the end like Sam Gamgee returning home to marry Rosie and grow a garden (but now braver and tougher). So yeah, just begin writing and think about the character and it will come to you.
I hope this helps. Good luck!
With revising, if your first draft is all over the place then I’d map out your plot. Like actually map it out on a poster board or something with index cards and sticky notes so you can shuffle them around and figure out where they all go and if anything should be omitted or added. I’d definitely recommend getting to know your characters better. Even an extremely well-written story falls flat if the characters don’t feel three-dimensional to the reader. Take personality tests for the main characters. Answer a bunch of questions about them like favorite memory, biggest regret, first kiss, etc. Also give each character, but especially the main(s) a misguided belief (if they don’t have one already) and make sure it’s clear to you why they believe that way (childhood trauma, bad luck in life, indoctrination), what their goals are in relation to this belief, and how the story is going to change them for better or worse (change to good/correct belief, switch to worse belief, reaffirm bad belief). Do this to sub-characters too, but not as in-depth. Maybe even write some scenes of backstories or major moments from your main character’s life that will never make it in the book but will give you a better idea of who they are. After making sure your plot and characters are solid, start working on your second draft based on the first one and make changes along the way as needed. Once you get a more cohesive draft, share some of it with a few people and ask them at what point do they get bored, what’s confusing, what’s exciting, etc. Also, download an app that reads your draft document out loud to you so you can pick up on weird phrasing or overused words and see how it all flows together. As for your new story idea, maybe try writing the key scenes and plot points that keep floating around in your head. I find that as I write a scene, ideas will come to me about sub-plots or new directions to take the character or their underlying desire. Think about how you can turn the event into a catalyst for the character to either begin an adventure or discover something new about themselves. What do they want and how are you, and this event, going to keep them from getting it? Are you going to make it better or worse for them? Or give them what they want in the end like Sam Gamgee returning home to marry Rosie and grow a garden (but now braver and tougher). So yeah, just begin writing and think about the character and it will come to you. I hope this helps. Good luck!