Tuesday, April 5, 2016

D is for Draft

This year for the A-Z Challenge, I'm attempting to act like I know what I'm talking about and offering advice about writing.  Let's see how I do!

Also, don't forget to stop by the Parallels blog to see more posts about the upcoming anthology, which will be available on May 3rd!


As writers, we have to accept that multiple drafts of any story or novel are going to be required.  A lot of new writers despair when they hear this, and I can understand.  Finishing your initial draft is hard and time consuming enough.  Having to go through that more than once can seem daunting.  People give up on their writing aspirations for many reasons, and the sheer size of the task of creating a story or novel is one of them.

Who among us hasn’t looked at a first draft and lamented at how badly it seemed to be going?  I have.  It’s incredibly frustrating.  Sometimes we just want to give up.  While there are certainly times when a story isn’t working out, there are also plenty of times when we’re being too hard on ourselves.


I have a suggestion.  Accept that the first draft may be no good.  It may be riddled with issues.  That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t stick with it.  If the story still calls to you, keep working at it.  Finish the first, flawed draft, then be willing to dive back in and make it work.  It’s part of the life of the writer.


17 comments:

  1. Thanks for the reminder, LG!
    The sheer task of creating a story is quite daunting BUT I'm digging my heels in...
    Writer In Transit

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  2. I find that the Promethean task of revising a first draft scares off many new writers. Once people accept that their first draft is going to be bad, it gets easier to keep going.
    Elizabeth Hein - Scribbling in the Storage Room

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  3. Great post! Yes first drafts can be daunting,...yet the outcome is soooo worth it! Enjoy the rest of the A to Z Challenge.

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  4. Oh the target of the first draft - you're right, it takes work and accepting that it won't be perfect (that's my fault, trying to edit the draft before the draft is finished which can lead to a never ending spiral of correction to perfection).
    Sophie
    Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles | Wittegen Press | FB3X

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  5. I agree, accepting that the first draft is basically shit makes writing it so much easier. I'm always amazed at how many people feel their story is complete after just a draft or two.
    Urszula Humienik from urszulahumienik.com

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  6. I'm working on my fifth book, and I must say this particular first draft is giving more headaches than my four previously published books combined.

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  7. I try to turn off my inner editor when working on a first draft. I just want to get the basics of the story on paper and then I will fix all the problems.

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  8. Great call out. A draft is just a draft and writers need to do so much more beyond that.

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  9. Totally relate to that... I've got several first drafts of different stories as yet incomplete because I've gotten stuck and/or thought they were not good enough... but I do go back every once in a while with new insights and add a bit more here and there. I'm pretty determined to complete them one day and that's the main thing. :-) x

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  10. Editing is perhaps the most important part of writing. Wait, scratch that. Editing IS the most IMPORTANT part of writing.

    You're so spot on. No first draft is ever perfect. No second or third draft is either. If someone expects to ever write a perfect anything, they are in for eternal disappointment.

    Strive for a clean draft, a well written and thought out story. Perfection is boring anyway.

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  11. Loved this post! It took me awhile to realize that even the 4th and 5th draft might not mean the story is "done". Add feedback from beta readers and we have a whole new layer of drafting to do.I appreciate being part of online communities like A Round of Words in 80 Days that help me to be accountable for finishing that draft!

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  12. Just get through that first draft. Then you can do something with it. Can't do something with nothing...

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  13. Love this. It took me a long time to accept, but now I can laugh at how bad my first drafts are, and still keep writing. I finished two novels that way, and managed to turn them in decent final products. Revision is officially my favorite part of writing :-)

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  14. Oh, I so agree. I have enough drafts saved in my computer, that, if printed, I can wallpaper my house. Thank you for reminding us to stop obsessing ... or to obsess more. :)
    Silvia @https://silviatomasvillalobos.wordpress.com

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  15. I know the first draft is sh.. - it always is, but it's the basic story and that's the key. Just needs fleshed out. I love finishing the first draft, because that's when the real work begins.

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  16. Why must we always assume our first draft should be gold?

    Just finish! Great post!

    Heather M. Gardner / @hmgardner
    Co-Host, Blogging from A to Z April Challenge
    The Waiting is the Hardest Part

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