The first draft of your novel can be exciting, overwhelming, and maybe daunting. If this is your first attempt at a novel, then know by just starting you’re doing better than a lot who fall into the “Maybe one day I’ll write my book.” There’s a power in beginnings unlike any other. That’s why some of everyone’s favorite stories begin just before a hero’s adventure begins. So, to get a little corny, be the hero of your writing a story as you work to begin your journey to become an author of tomorrow.

The Wonderful, but Terrible, First Draft:

Few authors I know pen the perfect first draft. And I’m sure you’ve heard that elsewhere. But that’s the truth, especially if you just started writing. But the first draft is wonderful because it can be the purest writing experience and sense of creativity in the long process of producing a novel. The first draft is where you don’t hold back. Put everything into your novel that you can think of. You want to over explain why your bugs are all the same color? Go for it. You feel like a history of a small town in your empire is important. Write it. Maybe there’s a best friend that surpasses any other form of importance. Learn about those characters’ experiences together. Have fun.

“The only way you can write the truth is to assume that what you set down will never be read. Not by any other person, and not even by yourself at some later date. Otherwise you begin excusing yourself. You must see the writing as emerging like a long scroll of ink from the index finger of your right hand; you must see your left hand erasing it.”

Margaret Atwood

But Stay Focused:

While I give you full permission to go ham on your novel, keep your goals in mind. You’ve just spent the last while creating a world and a character, so don’t squander that. Try to focus your creative exploration on the world, your character, and their journey. Do you already have a character/story goal in mind? This will be important to remember as your character takes on a life of their own. Focus on the details around your character, and the things going on outside of your character that impacts them.

Sound Like A Lot?

Writing a novel, especially your first draft, can feel a little overwhelming. You’ll have your easy and hard days. But I want the following series of posts to help ease that burden as we break down the first draft process, ways to get started, and other writing tips to help you have the most successful first draft you can. In the end, the following tips are A WAY to write your first draft, but not THE WAY. Every writer needs to find their own approach to the writing process. So take the following posts with a grain of salt, and adjust them to best fit your practices.

Next week we’ll look at a familiar question, to plot or not? This is most often the question most new authors debate over and receive advice on in their writing process.

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