Finishing your First Draft

Many people would love to be a writer. Some of them even have a go. A few of them might actually finish a story and a handful will go on to publish. It seems simple enough but judging by the amount of courses and seminars aimed at new writers, the difference between wanting to write and finishing a first draft is huge. Some estimates put it at 1%. That is quite a daunting statistic.

What is it about getting those words out of your head and onto a page that makes it so difficult to do? I have to put my hand up here, and say, I have never had that problem. Yes, I do get a bit stuck at times and need to grit my teeth and push through, but I only have one incomplete first draft and that was from forty years ago, when writing and a full-time job and new marriage just weren’t compatible.

Although I don’t know what it’s like to stop writing my story, I can tell you how I see it through to the end. Perhaps some of my practices might resonate with you and help you to finish that all important first draft.

1. It does not have to be perfect.

I’ve written in other blogs about my striving for perfection, and I have learnt that the first draft will never, ever, be perfect. In fact, I will go so far as to say it often does not even resemble the finished product. You would never sit at a piano and expect to create the greatest symphony ever at your first attempt. It needs trial and error and lots of practice. It’s the same with writing.

That first draft is you idly pressing the keys, seeing what happens if you combine certain notes. Whether you sit and plot each step, or merely fly by the seat of your pants and see what happens, you are creating something from scratch. Your story has never been told before, so you have to discover it through trial and error. However you begin your story, there will be mess. Sentences, paragraphs, even whole scenes might be crossed out. You might have a great idea about plot hallway through which changes the action earlier. No problem. Write a note to remind yourself to add it in the next version.

I have even changed a character’s name partway through and carried on writing. Get rid of the mindset that says you must produce something perfect on the first try.

2. Don’t edit.

There is a real temptation for new writers to edit their first draft as they go. This may work for you later on, but for your first attempt, I would ban any edits. Write notes in the margin or add bold red text to your pages, but never start to change things until you have finished the whole thing.

I think this is often tied in with wanting things to be perfect, but all it does is stall your creativity. Editing is a process that happens after the story has been written. Resist the urge to rewrite and change things. Wait until the story is complete, and then go back and start developing your themes and characters.

3. Try writing the first draft by hand.

There are several reasons why I advocate grabbing a pen and paper instead of typing on a word document. Firstly, it helps creativity by stimulating a completely different area of the brain than typing does. This is incredibly useful if you are a pantser like me. I need to get inspiration, to creatively extract my characters from situations I have put them in.

Longhand has been shown to reduce stress and increase well-being. Anything that keeps you healthy must be worth doing.

It increases memory and retention and stops you getting distracted. This means that I am wholly focussed on my work instead of being preoccupied by other things. The words stick, so much so, that I can be loading the dishwasher and a perfect solution to my problems presents itself. It also means I don’t forget key actions in my story.

Finally, I make writing by hand a pleasure. I use gorgeous notebooks and pens that write smoothly. If I find my mind wandering, I use the back pages to jot down new ideas (I often get these while writing my first draft), research I need to do, plot points I need to clarify – anything that might take me away from actually writing that first draft.

4. Bounce ideas off someone else. A few times, I have painted myself in a corner when it comes to plot. I love thinking up creative stuff, but sometimes I’m left with the problem of how to get myself out of a situation.

I belong to a great discord group who have been fabulous at helping me work things out. They might not give me the perfect solution, but it starts a train of thought that leads to the perfect “get out of jail free” card. Talking to my husband can stimulate my creativity, too. He may not even need to answer me. Just speaking the problem out loud is enough.

In the meantime, write “Figure this out later” and move on with the story. Your brain is an amazing organ. Even when you are not actively trying to solve a problem, the brain will keep at it in the background. Give it time to work.

5. Don’t get caught up in heavy description.

I am a visual learner, and my stories often come with snapshots of scenes. One of my editing tasks is to fill these in when I come to rewrite. In my first draft, however, I often skim over these parts, or write vague descriptions that can be padded out at a later date. The most important thing is to get down the plot and essential dialogue.

In the draft I am working on at the moment, I have several things in brackets, such as Describe the fight. Where do they sleep in the ship? Find Norse word meaning open. All these things can be added later. If you let the details swamp you, you will find yourself mired in trivialities. Becoming bored with your story because you are trying to flesh it out with lots of detail won’t help you finish it.

6. Have fun.

Writing shouldn’t be a chore, but something you look forward to doing. This is especially important if you are trying to fit it in around a job and family. If you don’t enjoy it, you will find excuses not to write and your draft will never get finished.

At this point, anything goes! Write over the top characters, jokes, unbelievable situations. Give you characters things to do that make you laugh. They may all end up in the trash folder, but it will keep you writing. Some of it may stick.

I have a stash of chocolate in my study that I nibble on throughout the day. I have written a chapter in an evening while having a couple of glasses of wine. Some people love to listen to music as they write and make up a playlist to inspire their latest WIP. Get a special chair. Make a space that is your writing space and doesn’t get used for anything else. Buy the perfect notebook and several of your favourite pens.

That way, you will look forward to writing and be more likely to finish it.

7. Be bored.

I’m not saying that your writing should bore you, but that you should spend some time doing nothing, especially if you reach a tricky part of your story and you don’t know what happens next. Remember I said that the brain keeps working on something even when you are actively not? Being bored gives the brain loads of space to use in order to solve your problem for you.

It also helps when you are out of plot ideas, or you need “something” to happen to your characters. Stare into space. Daydream. Doodle.

Ask yourself silly questions. What if fairies really lived at the bottom of my garden? If I were a murderer, where would be a good place to hide a body? How would it feel to fly? What if we all communicated with our minds? What if I could only live in one room of my house? What would happen if houses had minds of their own?

My very first story – the unfinished one from decades ago – began when I was staring up at the clouds and making pictures in my mind. One of them looked like an owl sitting in a tree. I wonder what he’s looking at, I thought. From there, a trilogy was born (although, as yet, unwritten!).

8. Don’t get distracted by the next new shiny idea. Because my creative brain is very active during my first draft, I often come up with some interesting new story ideas, often completely unrelated to the draft I am working on. The temptation is to abandon your WIP (work in progress) for this exciting new idea.

Don’t.

Grab your ideas notebook or turn to the back page and write it down in as much detail as you can.

Then get back to your WIP. First, finish your draft. If at the end you decide to abandon it for a better story, then that’s fine, but see it through to a semblance of completion before you move on. You never know if you might return to it in the future. If so, the main skeleton will be there waiting for you to flesh it out.

9. Keep writing.

When things aren’t working out, it’s fine to leave it for a day or so, but if you find yourself not writing at all, you may lose all impetus.

Write something.

There are lots of books and websites to choose from that have great writing prompts. My favourite is “642 Things to Write About” by the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto. The prompts are all different lengths and range through subjects like, “Describe a person you see every day”, “You can keep only one memory from your entire life. What will it be?” and “The fortune teller in the window”. Pick one randomly and write something, even if it is only a few sentences.

Writing for fun is a good way to kick start your brain, while keeping your writing muscles strong, ready for when the ideas flow again.

10. Look after yourself.

Creativity happens when you feel well and rested. If you find yourself trying to push through while ill, run down, tired, or upset, it won’t work.

Last year I ended up having a string of horrible things happen to me, including two visits to A&E. The painkillers I was prescribed knocked me for six. I could hardly open my eyes, let alone sit at my computer and work. I had planned to publish my third book before Christmas to make the most of the buying spree for presents. However, I had to admit to myself that it wasn’t going to happen. My health and wellbeing took precedence over my imagined deadline.

If your unfinished draft is due to ill health, either physically or emotionally, be kind to yourself. Feed your creative brain by reading or drawing. Jot down any story related ideas somewhere, but don’t worry about working on the draft. One day, you will wake up energised and ready to go again. Until then, rest.

Don’t let your unique story remain unfinished. Do whatever it takes to be that 1% of writers who actually complete their first draft. If you have any other thoughts about ways to get your book written, I’d love to hear them!