First Draft Follies - Part One
A Multi-Part Series on Tackling The Dreaded First Draft
I’m all about being transparent here so I’ll say this: I’m terrible at writing first drafts. I see a blank page, a blinking cursor, and my stomach curdles like I’ve just discovered the milk in my cereal is four days past its expiration date.
I’m that person who will do every household chore possible before I sit down at my computer to work on something new. Lately, I’ve been ignoring my writing because I know how intimidated I feel when I have to start building an entirely new world. Luckily, I know I’m not alone in this feeling. Whenever I talk about this topic with my writing friends, they quickly commiserate.
Yes, first drafts can be painful, but I’ve figured out a way to stop making the process feel like I’m getting a root canal. If you’re someone who also struggles to get started, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the ways I motivate myself to get words on the page.
In this this multi-part series, I’ll discuss what tools I use to get started. The ways I battle back against the soggy middle, and how I force myself to slow down when I’m trying to bring a manuscript to a satisfying end.
To start, I want to address a drafting mindset that has helped me over the years. Here it is:
“It doesn’t have to be good, it just has to be done.”
What the heck does that mean? It means you need to give yourself permission to SUCK. To put the worst sentences on the page. To use crutch words and telling verbs just so you can finish a chapter.
There have been so many variations on this theme when it comes to first drafts. I’m sure you’ve heard a few of these:
“You’re just shoveling sand into the box before you build the castle”
“Writing is like building a house. Put up the basic structure first. The walls (plot), paint (voice), decor (setting), comes later.”
And then there’s my favorite…
“Tell yourself the story first. Then go back and write it for the reader.”
No matter how you convince yourself to get your butt in the chair, what reward you offer yourself to get that word count, you must first nudge away that lurking imposter syndrome voice in your head.
Here’s how I begin:
I write a query for the book like I’m pitching it to an agent or editor. Here are the basics questions the query needs to answer:
Who are the characters?
What do they want?
What is keeping them from that goal?
What are they willing to risk to make it happen?
Next, I develop a short synopsis. I like to use Susan Dennard’s Star Wars outline because it allows me to quickly hit the main beats in the story. Again, it does not have to be perfect but it does have to act like a loose roadmap for your story.
Create a chapter-by-chapter guide. This single sentence worksheet should specify what happens in each chapter. This is not binding, but it should show that you’re meeting the necessary beats and requirements for your plot and the character arcs in the story.
Examples I’ve used in the past: “Meet-cute happens” or “MC learns secret that changes her goal.”
Finally, get your snacks, your preferred drink, and cue up your playlist if this is your thing. The most important part here? That you are in the chair and writing.
Do not hold yourself to perfection. No one else is going to see this version but you. Give yourself a little grace and allow the words to flow.
What’s Next?
In the second installment of this series, I’ll share how I incorporate place holders for certain story elements (B story, foreshadowing). The ways I build the foundations for setting. Most importantly, how I push past the doubt when I’m struggling to define character voice.