#first draft writing tips

[novlr]

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” — Terry Pratchett

[nondelphic]

adverbs are fine. stop bullying them. let the girlies "run quickly" or "speak softly" if they want to.

[tvaccaro]

It's okay if your first draft sucks!

Creating is hard. You're literally sifting through the dark recesses of your mind piled to the brim with chaotic thoughts and ideas, and desperately hauling them out into the light. Of course it's gonna look like shit at first!

Be patient and kind to yourself. You need time to take what you've brought back, rearrange and experiment with it, and eventually curate it into a beautiful story.

You're still getting to know your work. Don't give up on it just before you discover the beauty beneath.

[she-who-fights-and-writes]

Do you have any advice for writing your first draft?

I’ve just finished an outline for a fic of mine, and like all my projects I abandoned them at the first draft because I lose interest in the story.

So, how can I stay interested long enough to complete my draft and move on to actually finishing the story?

HOW TO WRITE A FIRST DRAFT

A first draft is the hardest draft you will ever write; it’s creating something from nothing, without the benefit of using a previous draft as a base. Obstacles such as writer’s block and motivation may oppose you at every turn, and it can be easy to get sidetracked and frustrated when you have ideas for the “middle” of the story but somehow can’t get to it. 

Just know that everyone is different and writes in a way that works for them, so don’t feel pressured if these tips don’t work for you or don't fit your style of writing!

1. Start With a Good Outline

Since you don’t have a previous draft as a foundation for your writing, your outline will take the place of this! Refer to my posts below:

How to Outline

Plotting for Pansters and Pantsing for Plotters

You can also refer to my FAQ, which includes a variety of resources on getting started. This includes posts on how to get into writing fiction, how to write consistently, and how to combat writer's block!

2. Know that You Don’t Have to Write in Chronological Order

Write what inspires you! If you have no idea what your first scene is going to be but have very specific ideas about a coffee shop interaction during the middle of the book,  write the coffee shop scene instead of staring at your blank word doc for an hour and giving up!

Writing is better than not writing, even if it’s not the part of your story that you “need” to get done. In fact, it can be easier (and more cohesive!) to write all of the major scenes you’re excited about first and connect them together, than to write out everything in the order from start to finish.

3. Give Yourself Permission to Write Incomprehensible Garbage

This goes hand-in-hand with the tips I highlight in my post about overcoming writer’s block. When it comes to a first draft, DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT, and QUANTITY OVER QUALITY. It is totally okay if your first draft is covered in placeholders for scenes and conversations that you don’t feel like writing.

For example, rather than getting stuck on writing about your characters on the car ride to the carnival, just write and highlight in red “THEY DRIVE TO THE CARNIVAL” and come back to it later. That way, you can have fun actually writing the carnival scene instead of struggling to write the stuff leading up to it. Momentum is the key to getting your first draft done, not producing writing that “sounds good.”

If you’re just going to go back and edit it later, why bother getting stuck on that now? This leads me into my next point:

4. STOP EDITING!!!

When it comes to a first draft, opening up the doc and editing the things you already wrote for the 712123979843th time is not progress; now you just have one REALLY good scene and no rest of the story. Save the editing for later; you’re more likely to lose steam and feel stuck if you keep getting caught on the same things over and over again. 

I am calling myself out on this one, as I am INCREDIBLY guilty of using editing and rewriting as an excuse to not write new material, but unfortunately it has to be said. Having it in your mind that you’re making progress when in reality you’re using editing as an avoidant technique will not help you in the long run (as much as I wish it would). 

This can sometimes be helped by writing each chapter (or scene that’s getting you stuck) in a new document so that you have no choice but to focus on what you’re currently writing; sometimes the temptations of editing are too great to resist when you have all of your writing in one place!

5. Set Specific Goals and Document Your Progress

Setting goals helps you break up the huge task of “writing a book” into more manageable chunks. 

For example, heading into a writing session with the goal “finish this chapter” or “finish this scene” or “write this dialogue” can make it easier to overcome writer’s block; you are solely dedicating your focus on doing this specific task, and are less likely to get distracted. It’s better than barging head-first into it with no direction, and may also have the added bonus of keeping your writing cohesive.

Documenting your progress can help hold you accountable for reaching the goals that you set. If you like to perform under pressure, maybe you can document your progress online or with a friend; that way, you feel a bit of a pushback from outside sources to get things done! Keeping consistent will also help in maintaining a steady flow of inspiration—you’re always thinking ahead!

However, you should remember that life happens, so don’t beat yourself up if you’re struggling to reach your goals or deadlines! Nobody is a writing machine!

Hope this helps, and happy writing!

[nanowrimo]

How to Write a Quality First Draft

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. ProWritingAid, a 2023 NaNo sponsor, helps you turn your rough first draft into a clean, clear, publish-ready manuscript. Today, author Krystal N. Craiker shares some tips on how to make sure your first draft has some good bones to start with:

One question I often hear about National Novel Writing Month is, “Won’t my novel be of terrible quality?”

It’s true that writing 50,000 words in 30 days won’t give you a polished manuscript. And it’s always great to embrace the creative mess of the first draft.

However, there are some tricks to ensure that your first draft has plenty of usable content. These tips are also a great way to move your story along when you get stuck.

1. Have a Plan

Pantsers, this might be hard to hear. But having even a basic outline of your story can ensure you stay on track. You don’t have to sacrifice creativity when you outline. After all, you’re still the author creating a story. 

A detailed outline can even act like your messy first draft. The more work you put into planning, the better your first draft will be. When I spend more time plotting, I spend far less time cutting things from my later drafts.

2. Make Every Scene 3D

Okay, I get it. Not everyone is a plotter. Luckily, there are other things you can do to ensure your first draft is good quality. One is adding enough sensory detail to bring your story to life.

I like to use a 3D method: have at least three of the five senses in every scene. It’s a great trick to improve the flow of your scene. Take a few minutes to immerse yourself in your story and write what your characters are experiencing.

You might change it or move it around in your final draft, but you’ll save yourself time during revisions if you add sensory detail from the beginning. 

3. Reword Your Writing

Sometimes we get stuck after one bad sentence. The imposter syndrome kicks in, and the scene just falls flat. 

Ideally, we completely turn off our inner editor during NaNoWriMo. But when you encounter that one pesky sentence, it’s okay to rewrite it. 

You can use a tool like ProWritingAid’s Rephrase. Just highlight your sentence, click Rephrase, and select a new sentence. Rephrase uses your own words and enhances them. And don’t worry about security and privacy—ProWritingAid never uses your writing to train AI.

4. Embrace the Chaos

Of course, the most important thing about National Novel Writing Month is to embrace the messy creative process. It’s okay not to have a perfect manuscript at the end of the month—no one will. 

Everyone will need to revise, edit, and rewrite after November ends. That’s why NaNoWriMo includes "I Wrote a Novel... Now What?" resources. And when you’re ready to turn your mess into a masterpiece, ProWritingAid will be there to help.

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and content writer who sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which bring fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

Top photo by No Revisions on Unsplash

[lavender-gloom]

if you’re struggling to start writing a new story, i suggest writing a 0 draft to get yourself started! all you have to do is think of a scene—it can be from your outline if you have one or just based on a vibe you want to capture—and word vomit onto a document. it can be as many pages as you want. when you feel like you have a flow, start writing the real thing! if you like the 0 draft you can use it and tweak it to fit in where ever you need to, as well. i tend to just word vomit a few intro pages and clean them up in the first draft. this helps sooooo much as a discovery writer.

[sweetiepeabooks]

A guide to beta readers for beginner writers 📚✨️

[fj-writes]

I've recently found that for my first draft, writing on paper is so much more effective (for me anyway). I physically can't go back and change everything, I just have to write, keep going, every mistake is just part of the process, part of the beauty of writing on paper. I don't know if anyone else has found the same, but handwriting instead of typing may actually be what gets me to finish this first draft

[halimamis]

This-is-trash phase

Don’t worry if you think your writing is terrible. That’s what editing is for. In fact, every masterpiece has probably been through at least one 'this is trash' phase before becoming great. Consider your trash phase character-building for both you and your story.

[geeky-roleplayer]

Are there any aspiring authors who want to be mutuals & talk about our manuscripts together? I'd love to beta-read for you and offer constructive feedback.

I'm trying to finish the first draft of my manuscript before the end of the year, and having an open conversation about the process really helps!

[dreams-shape-reality]

things I need to have in my first draft

[writtenbyaris]

my creative writing process as a planner 🌟

the idea:

story ideas come to me at the most random and inconvenient of times. right before i fall asleep, when i'm in the shower, during my classes, etcetera. my main rule is to always write them down, whether it's in my notes app or a slip of paper or a journal... i'll forget it if i don't.

i try keeping it simple at this stage and not thinking too deeply about it, otherwise it becomes quite overwhelming. sometimes ¡'ll make a pinterest board depending on what the idea is. if it's more of an aesthetic, then i can make a moodboard out of it to help inspire me more. however, if the idea is a plot of some sort, that can be a bit more difficult.

character and world building:

this is my favorite part. once i have an idea set in stone and i'm ready to work on it, i begin building the characters and the world around it. i figure out the mechanics of the idea and how it can relate to characters and the world they're in.

at this point, i'm definitely making pinterest boards, playlists, and picrews to feel more immersed in the skeleton of the story.

i still keep it as simple as possible, and try to enjoy it. when i try juggling too many things at once, i end up wanting to abandon the project. slow and steady is the key for me :)

creating the story:

now we get down to what being a writer actually is.. transforming the idea into a story. i have to at least come up with one major plotline to start. i usually write in my journal during this stage, but sometimes i'll use notion to organize everything and keep track of it all.

oftentimes, the main plot will come to me when i'm working on character and world building. sometimes it's even the idea that first popped into my head. the story is usually influenced by dreams i've had, my own every day experiences, and other media i consume.

arcs, subplots, themes, etc:

this stage is for the smaller details that are vital for the story to flow and actually work. it's like a puzzle that's finally coming together.

for me, a story isn't a good one without arcs and themes, so those are of utmost importance. subplots are necessary to make the world more immersive, give readers insight on the characters, and keep the story naturally flowing. everything has to be woven back in to the main plot or idea, though.

i will say, this is the stage that tends to give me the biggest headache :P

zero draft:

jumping into a first draft as a heavy planner is too scary for me. so i came up with the idea of a zero draft. basically- zero expectations.

this is the backbone of my story. in this stage, i'm basically just taking myself through the steps of the story. i organize the plot and subplots into chapters, and with each chapter i go through all the beats of each scene. literally every. single. thing. that happens.

i don't usually include dialogue in this phase, but i do mention when a character will be in a conversation. all the focus should be on putting a needle and thread through the story and tying it all together.

first draft:

the first draft is somewhat easier for me because i do a zero draft. so, i know everything that will happen in a chapter and just have to utilize my writing abilities to make it rhythmic.

this is the first stage where i write dialogue, so it tends to be corny. a lot of my writing can be cliche and basic as well. that's what editing is for though!

i usually stress the most when writing my first draft, because it's the first time the story is actually being written in the format of a novel. by the end, it's not always very good either. but i do not look back at all, which means absolutely no editing until the first draft is finished.

and so on…

once the first draft is finished, then comes draft two. it's enjoyable to be able to read your own work all over again, though it's sometimes embarrassing as writing does improve with practice.

i focus on one chapter at a time-reading slowly, editing, filling in plot holes, fixing anything that changed later in the story. i try to catch as many details as i can.

usually, after as many rounds of editing one likes, the draft would be sent to an editor and beta readers. then i'd look into publishing companies (can you tell i haven't gotten to that point yet? lol)

are you a planner or a pantser?

[lovinggreeniehours]

what they won't know.

↳ takahara × lucifer (season 1)

↳ 700+ words. very short

↳ lowkey a sequel for let them look for they cannot see :) not exactly super official dialogue because this is a first draft from the arifer summary that i intend to incorporate later into the larger story. but yeah i decided to throw myself a pity bone. i can't infodump so ill post my silly little excerpt instead. excuse me if it isn't my best work i just like this scene a lot <3 <– has had the outline written down for 2 years ever since i first played the game

↳ extra warning for these two being unreliable narrators. as usual 😭

The chaos of the night eventually died down. The gold was returned, with mishaps along the way, and many more afterwards. Arion did his nightly rounds of checking on his siblings in their respective bedrooms. As he was returning to his own room, he then happened to run into the one person he least expected to see. Oddly enough, they seemed to find each other in the dark quite often.

"Good evening." Arion muttered. Just to be polite. "I'm heading to my room."

"Wait a moment."

Begrudgingly, he allowed it, biting back a sarcastic comment. Scowling, he looked up at Lucifer.

"What is it? I'm tired."

"I'm sorry."

What?

Arion tried not to let his surprise reach his face.

"For?"

But he couldn't help it— the little spark of vindictive glee that ignited in him as Lucifer forced himself to break eye contact. In an instant, all notions of tiredness seemed to evaporate. What? Can't meet me head on? Is this embarrassing you? Am I embarrassing you?

And realistically, Arion knew exactly what Lucifer was apologizing for. He simply couldn't help himself. He needed to hear him say it.

"..I shouldn't have dragged your sisters into our argument. They had nothing to do with the issue, and I overstepped. I may have been.. too harsh in my judgement earlier."

"Oh?"

"Shut up."

Arion really shouldn't have, but he laughed. For maybe the first time that night, for the worst possible reason. Arion had been crying his eyes out just a few hours ago, and the Avatar of Pride was apologizing. Why wouldn't he laugh? Why wouldn't he enjoy it?

Then Lucifer's next words hit him.

"I would like to form a truce."

The laughter died, allowing room for silence to pool thickly between them. Lucifer was forced to try and explain his point.

"Let us be clear. I still do not trust you. I don't trust you with my brothers, and I don't trust you in my house. But these are the cards that I've been dealt, and I'd prefer there be less issues such as this in the future."

Lucifer raised his hand as if in offering, before quickly realizing how awkward that was, and then letting it fall back to his side. Lucifer cleared his throat.

"Well? What say you?"

"We can agree on one thing, at least. I don't like being in your house either."

"Have you considered applying to change dormitories?"

Arion shook his head, almost laughing again. "I don't like being in your house. But my siblings seem to be quite happy there. Where I want to sleep is besides the point."

Then he put his hand forward, mirroring Lucifer's motion earlier. The hand he put forward was the very same that he broke during the dance. And he kept it there between them, waiting for Lucifer to shake it.

"Truce then."

For a moment, he only surveyed Arion's face, trying to gauge his emotions. His real emotions. From the bored droop of his eyelids, the unamused curve of his mouth, the determined set of his shoulders, and his hair so red Lucifer could see it in the near-lightless corridor.

He really wasn't afraid of him, Lucifer thought. How irritating. And yet, a sense of intrigue filled him. Now that the threat had subsided, it seemed Arion had no particular feeling towards him. Would he have reacted the same if he'd been threatened by another demon? By Lord Diavolo himself maybe?

"I still do not like you." Lucifer shook the human's hand, thinking bitterly. And he couldn't help but think of the irony in the gesture. Clasped hands were a common gesture between demons and humans. In pact-making— one of the few things they seemed to share (distasteful) sentiment in. "Whatever grievances we have with each other will be settled in confidence. I will not get involved in your family business so long as you stop sticking your nose into mine."

"Got it."

"So no one needs to know about this."

"Nope. No one."

"Good."

"No promises on not annoying you for life though."

"Do whatever you want. You'll be dead in a few years anyway."

Lord Diavolo finds them there not a moment later. Thankfully, there is a commotion in one of the rooms before he can question them too closely.

(The commotion turned out to be a pillow fight. And so Arion becomes the very first person to hit Lucifer in the face with a pillow.

Lucifer realized his mistake very quickly. He should have been keeping his eyes on Arion the whole time.)

[theeccentricraven]

Never worry about how many times you need to rewrite before your writing is good. While it's best to avoid getting carried away with perfecting your work, it's just a reality that it takes lots of rewriting to get good. Not necessarily perfect, but good.

As Ernest Hemingway famously said, "I rewrote the ending of 'Farewell to Arms' 39 times before I was satisfied."

[secondhandsorrows]

Drafting in 3 Parts

Just popping through to share a tidbit of advice I’d learned from a writer friend some years ago that helps break down the drafting process of storytelling and into perspective. It’s something that’s really stuck with me the more I get into drafting, and has really helped to put the whole, large-scale process into simple terms that makes the drafting stage seem a lot less… you know, frightening. 

It is broken down into three parts:

1. Make it work.

2. Make it right.

3. Make it good. 

Sounds easy, right? Well, I thought so, too. In fact, that’s the whole drafting, editing, and revising process right there, plain as day. In this post, I will walk you through how I understand these steps and utilize them in my own writing, so that you too could incorporate them into your own processes in a way that works for you. 

Let’s begin!

Step One: Make it Work

So what’s actually in this so-called “work” stage?

It’s exactly as the word suggests, but in two ways simultaneously. You do the work by putting the words on paper, while also making sure the story works. This doesn’t mean just grammar or spelling… This means alloting some care and effort to keeping the pace and avoiding any large-scale plot holes that would otherwise derail your entire story, which, of course, makes it harder to keep going. 

It’s not going to be good at first — we’ll get to that in step three. And it sure won’t be pretty. But this is the drafting stage… all you gotta do is show up and do the work. 

Step Two: Make it Right

This is where things get a little tricky. It’s easy to confuse this step with the previous step, as both blend the lines a little of having the story make sense. 

So what does this all entail? 

Well, a few things. Make it right can be attributed to the editing process, be it line-by-line grammar edits, syntax, word choice, and structure. Maybe storywise there’s a few descriptions that need tweaking, some inconsistencies needing a quick fix… what ever you can catch as you read through. Is the POV the right choice for the kind of story you’re telling? Does this character have a clear arc that gets fully wrapped up at the end? Speaking of which, are all those little subplots — or any other loose ends — tied up? Would it help to add a flashback, or get rid of that scene that goes nowhere altogether? Any places where you can show, not tell, or vice versa?

In short, this all boils down to make the story you’re trying to tell right: not only to you, but to the reader as well. 

Step Three: Make it Good

What consitutes a “good” story? Engaging characters, an immersive setting, solid themes and arcs, a gripping plot… we can go on forever. It’s a lot to keep track of, and it’s easy to lose sight of one thing in the grand scheme of writing. But the story has to be good. 

There, I said it! 

Come on, we were all thinking it. It’s clear that not everyone is going to like your story, and that’s a fact. As a writer, you not only want to be sure that the story is good in your eyes, but to that of the readers’, as well, for they are the ones you are going to keep engaged and waiting for your next release. You’re going to open their minds to new things, new ideas… that’s how you build a platform as a writer. What’s going to hold them back is poor pacing, underdeveloped characters, awkward dialogue, predictability, etc. Most if not all of these are what can make or break the story you’re trying to tell. 

But, in the end, this is your story: your own work of art. Have fun with it! Passion works in tandem with creativity: it’s there in your style and prose, your deep explorations of underlying themes and overarching ideas that you love to write about, the characters you’ve come up with that stick with you. There’s a reason why you wanted to tell this story— keep that in mind as you write. No one can tell or write your story quite like you can. 

[crowandmoonwriting]

Writing tip: Explorer Mode!

(Loosely based on Assassin's Creed's Discovery Mode)

Starting off a first draft? Not quite happy with your wording or the starting scene? Inclined to jump around the plot? No idea what the plot is, or who the characters are yet, but still determined to write?

Use Explorer Mode! Your story is an adventure in and of itself, and you are Indiana Jones in the Temple of your Creativity. Write notes, scenes, memes, character motivations, bits of poetry or prose from books or media that inspire you, doodle in the margins, but write. Draw a map from one scene to another. Document your journey, even where you fall into a plot hole full of snakes. You are here to find the story, not make a finished project. It's not so much a first draft as it is a draft zero.

How to switch into Explorer Mode:

It's best to have a dedicated journal to wreck, but you can use whatever writing software you like. Some recommendations: Obsidian, Notion, Campfire Writing, and World Anvil.

At the top of the page, write Explorer Mode, and use it as a header or footer for each page if you have to, to remind you.

Keep it loose. You don't have to keep anything you write in here, but try not to discard anything. Whatever you have might be useful for writing the first draft later, or laughing at with friends.

Make it multimedia! If it's a physical journal, decorate it, draw on it, paint on it, add stickes and fancy scrapbooking paper, pretty washi tape, whatever you like. Cut out pictures from magazines, or tear out pages from old books. Don't be afraid to get messy with it.

Music, music, music! Definitely write down some playlists, or put in some links if you're using a digital journal. Write down the actual names and artists of the songs, however, and when you listen to each one, take notes. What character or scene might this relate to? Who would sing it? What lyrics inspire you? When you close your eyes and just listen, what do you picture in your mind's eye?

Involve the senses! There is nothing so evocative for the memory as scent. Scent your journal, or your pages. Add in a perfume, a fragrance oil, and lightly dab a page. Make a small envelope for a sachet of spices or a scented bit of gauze. What does the scene you're writing smell like? If you're working digitally, write down the notes of fragrances, or which candle you'd like to burn while writing this scene. You can do this with taste, too. Have a few dedicated recipes, if you like to cook, or places to eat that remind you of characters, settings, or plot points. What are your characters' favourite foods? Their comfort foods? For more on food and worldbuilding see my post here.

Get crafty! Make artefacts from your world or story. Embrace other art forms to realise it in your own world. Once when I was taking a ceramics class, I made a series of cups, goblets, and tea pots in the style of one of the countries from my high fantasy world. I love to see them and hold them, and imagine my characters having items just like these (or pretend that these are the real items they used). Sculpt, sketch, make delicate jewellery, sew clothes or a quilt, look up some fun DIY projects on YouTube that might relate to your story or character's interests and give it a go! Remember this is an exploration, so these crafts don't have to be perfect. It's a good idea to have something physical to do, something that you can do while listening to your story playlists, something you can accomplish while you daydream.

And that's about it! Take breaks from Explorer Mode whenever you like, to either actually start work on the first draft because you now feel more confident and comfortable with it, or just to chill and not think of anything for a while. That's important too. Most importantly, have fun! This is art we're making here, and we are artists, but we are also archaeologists, anthropologists, scientists, historians, and explorers of every kind.

Now go out there and have an adventure!