First Draft Blues

*whimpers*

I’m struggling too right now. Just trying to make the time to write, and then when I do I find myself staring blankly at the page wondering why anything but my WIP will write but not the WIP…

*Sighs*

I’ve also only finished first drafts for short stories, not a novel yet. Which is something I’m hoping to change this year but life.

So yeah. I’ll be hanging out…

• This reply was modified 16 hours, 53 minutes ago by Koshka.

I have never even been close to finishing a rough draft before, and I probably won’t ever at this point, but I’m interested to see what other people have to say.

@whalekeeper

Here I come to the rescue!!!

lolololol.

Okay, so I have a process. (I was actually just explaining this to someone)

So, before I ever begin to write I pray. I write down the idea in my prayer journal and say, “Lord, here’s my idea. If you want me to write this book, give me the rest of the story” and He does.

After that, before writing, I graph my characters so that I have sound, strong characters. Then I make sure I know the beginning, (how I want it set up, my world, my culture, etc) I know the climax, (what i need to foretell, lead up to, and prepare the hero for) and the end. (the goal I’ve been pushing the book toward this whole time.)

After that, I sit down a go. Turn of spell/grammar check if that helps, but go, go, go. Get the story on the paper in whatever way you need to. Do NOT rewrite, edit, etc. Just get it down and don’t look back. That’s draft one. Often in this stage I info dump the first chapter just to have everything necessary on paper. Don’t worry about style, making sure things flow, etc. Just get the story down. And, write at least 500 words a day. I know that’s not much, but making sure you touch your draft every day, (Sunday not included unless you want to) really keeps away writers block. And pray about it. Go to the Master Author and ask Him for help! He’s not too busy, He can hear you, He loves you, and He gave you this gift. Of course He wants to help you. I pray through places where I feel like the story is dead. I tell him how I’m stuck, and I ask for help. He does. Sometimes I get a crazy idea, sometimes a friend mentions something in a random conversation and everything clicks… but He really does help. That’s draft one.

Draft two is focused on going back and reading through, fixing any plot holes or places where the characters are under or over developed. Maybe throwing in a little foreshadowing.

Draft three is style. Go in and really look at your style. Maybe rewrite a few scenes, make sure you don’t use the same descriptive word too many times, etc. (This is always the time that I re-write chapter one)

Draft four is focused on going through and catching anything that auto correct and grammar check missed. (or this might be when you turn those on if you had turned them off)

Draft five is after I share with people. Then I go through and make changes based on their notes. This is when I put a draft on KP, or when I print it off, throw it in a 3-ring binder and give my friends a pencil. I often ask friends to write it down if they think they’ve predicted a plot twist. Then if that was something I really needed them not to guess so early on, I can look into changing a few things. I can get some feedback and take what I want and do the changes I need. etc.

Draft six is after I let my editor at it and she sends it back with every page marked. *sobs* This is the time you are thoroughly sick of your draft.But then I make grammar/spelling/structure edits and read through her plot/character suggestions and see if I want to use any of them.

Then I upload to my formatting program. Format, upload to printer, and print the first copy.

The copy comes in the mail and you suddenly love your book again! You sit down with a red pen and a stack of sticky notes. This is when you go through for any grammar/spelling/structure edits, any final plot-holes, any rephrasing, and also any formatting issues. Mark with a red pen and put a sticky note on the page. Then draft seven comes when you run those final edits. Then you print. Every first edition has 5-15 mistakes. That’s the saying anyhow. I print 30 first editions.

Draft 8 comes when you catch those 5-15 mistakes, (or your friends do) and you make those corrections. Then you continue to print the book.

The end.

Okay, I hope that was helpful. This is how I do it and part of the reason I can write so many books.
Also, I have set a rule ever since I started writing. We do not touch a new project until the old one is done. So, there’s a little motivation all in itself.

Also, sharing the chapters with a super close friend/sister/brother/etc as you write gives a fun motivation because then they are asking for the next chapter, and you get the encouragement of instant feedback.

Anyways. Hope that helped!

…

So… the first draft of Guardian Angels I literally started writing while waiting for a piano lesson, and I had no idea what I was doing. I still have no idea honestly. Apparently, my idea of ‘first draft’ is wing it.

And I currently only get motivation from my characters and someone very special so I have a lot of unfinished things…

Sorry, don’t think I am qualified to help even if I could.