Tips for First Drafting

Oh, the first draft. Some people like them—some people hate them with the fire of a thousand vengeful ex-girlfriends. But no matter how you feel about that first draft, you have to write it! There is no getting around it, promise.

My good friend, the incredible Stephanie Perkins, did an indispensable post on self-editing (and HBMs in scarfs). Seriously, if you haven't checked it out yet—go now. My post can wait for you.

No really, did you go read it? Good.

Anyway, this got me thinking maybe I should impart whatever wisdom I might have on first drafts. Because Steph is the PRO when it comes to editing, and I kinda sorta know a few things about first drafts...what with how many I've written. Couldn't hurt to share, right?

1. Write How YOU Write
We're always hearing about how other people write, and sometimes we think that's how we should write too. The "slow writers" want to write faster. The "fast writers" worry they should be slower or deeper/tortured. The fantasy writers wish they could write meaningful contemporary. The contemporary mourn their lack of ability to build fantasy worlds. Etc. And so forth.

Not true.

The only writer you can be is you. The only story you can write is your own. The only way you're going to stand out in the market is by channeling your own unique voice. So just accept that and enjoy it.

2. Have An Idea
Ideas come easy for some people (raises hand), and not-so-easy for others. That's okay. You don't have to have a handful of ideas to choose from—you need one. They take a while to write down any way.

The funny thing about Ideas is that they usually come from doing mundane things or nothing at all. Try and think of Ideas and they will constantly elude you. Most of mine have struck when cooking, cleaning, driving, trying to sleep, and doing the other "boring" things in my life. So I fully recommend doing nothing and seeing what comes to mind.

No—I'm serious. I'm telling you to do nothing. The Wall Street Journal's backing me up, too.

Okay, I guess you could brainstorm, if you want. I hear that works for some people. But when I do that, I end up talking myself out of every idea...I still talk myself out of many.

3. Let It Fester
Ideas are great, but they're such little things when they first come. One character. A setting. Perhaps a premise. Whatever it may be, it's not enough to create a full on story, that's for sure.

If you were me, you'd do more nothing while it grew in your brain. You'd let the characters start talking to you about their lives and world and what they want most. Then, when your MC finally delivered the first line, you'd start writing.

But that's not the only way to Let It Fester. Some people take notes or draw maps (I do sometimes). They start filling out character sheets and outlining plot/character arcs. They even outline, chapter by chapter, their whole idea.

This is all fine! Write How YOU Write, remember? The important thing is letting that little Idea blossom into a story, and then deciding how you want to let that story come out.

4. Research
More likely than not, you will have to research something to write your book. Even in fantasy, it's important to create a verisimilitude—it has to feel real. If you have your characters riding horseback and you've never ridden a horse, you might need to look up terms and ask others what it's like. Even in contemporary fiction you'll have to research, you may be using a city you've never been to, or maybe your character has a hobby you know nothing about.

I cannot tell you how many Youtube karate, motocross, and surfing videos I've watched just to get a sense of my character's hobbies. Dedication, people, dedication. It takes a lot of work to dig up stuff like this:


No, in all seriousness, do your research. There are few things that bug readers more than inaccurate/unbelievable details.

Besides, research is an amazing way to grow those baby Ideas too. There have been many occasions where by reading boring stuff (like the history of aluminum [dead serious]) I've had HUGE epiphanies about my stories.

One warning, though: DO NOT OVER RESEARCH. Some writers never stop researching, which means they never start writing. Or when they do, their prose reads more like an encyclopedia than a novel.

I personally research while I'm writing the first draft—I only look stuff up when I get to a point in the book that I need to know. This, I think, helps me avoid the pitfalls of researching too much. And you can always fill out details in a later draft.

5. Write The Freaking Book
A lot of writers have absolutely no problem with Tips 1-4, but then they sit down to write and glaze over.

"I have to...what? Put words on paper/screen?" Panic sets in. Once upon a time starts to look like the most brilliant opening line on the planet. You realize just how much work it's going to be to make that Idea an actual novel.

And if that doesn't happen right off, it happens eventually. It's not the first page that scares me—it's somewhere between page 30 and 50 (or the end of the first Act). I start thinking, "Is this good enough? Is it worth the work? Am I messing it up?"

It's scary. You are investing so much time, and it may never pay off. I think that fear is one of the major reasons people get stuck on the first draft, so here are some tips for quelling the fear:

• Write because you love it. I know professional writers actually get paid, but that's still not why they write...at least I hope not.

• Writing is never a waste of your time. You are learning your craft. Even if the book is never published or the scene you write ultimately gets cut—you will take valuable lessons from it.

• If you don't invest the time, it will never pay off in growth or cash. No "might" about it.

Another big issue that hinders first drafting is simply not knowing what the heck comes next. I get stuck all the time, and yet you'll never hear me call this writer's block. I don't believe in that. Getting a little stuck is inevitable. Even if you have a detailed outline, sometimes your characters surprise you, sometimes things don't happen they way you thought they would. Here are a few things to try:

• Keep going! So you might write some crap scenes that you'll have to cut later, but remember how you're not wasting time? Yeah, you're not. Maybe that crap scene will open up the AWESOME scene that comes next.
  

• Talk about it with someone. Tell them about your story, where your characters are at, and see if you can get some inspiration. I do this frequently—I ask my alphas/closest friends. They'll suggest something completely ridiculous, and I'll be like, "NO! Not that. They're supposed to...GASP! That's it!"

• Do nothing for a second, just like Tip #3. Sometimes all I need is a bubble bath or a walk or a little power yoga or, okay, a double cheeseburger and onion rings. And then BAM, the story opens up.
  

• Whatever you do, DON'T freak out. The story will come back. If you start to panic about losing it, about never finishing, about doing it wrong...you're just going to make it harder than it needs to be. Promise—everyone gets stuck from time to time.

And finally, the other major hindrance in first drafting is the dreaded, the ever-formidable Inner Editor. Some people picture a straight-nosed, pencil-skirted woman with cat-eye glasses who scrutinizes their every word with a disapproving glare.

My Inner Editor is a boy—a punk boy with messy hair, a smart mouth, and a permanently smug grin. He heckles me. A lot. "You wrote that? For real?" "I didn't know adverbs were back in style. Oh wait, they aren't." "That description is LAME! Dude, you're the lamest writer ever!" And then he laughs and points at me.

And yet I secretly have a crush on him. Yes, it's messed up.

But I have made a list of effective comebacks for my Inner Editor:

• "Have you ever written a first draft?" My Inner Editor blinks rapidly. "Uh, no." I tell him he has no right to criticize then, because I've written a few. I know they aren't perfect, but they turn out pretty good for a first attempt.
  

• "Do you want me to finish or not? Because you can't get your hands on it until it's done." Inner Editor hates this one, because he really likes to clean up my first drafts. He's only heckling me because he's so excited to get his hands on it; he loves my ideas. "Shut up!" He blushes. "I do not." He's not a good liar.

• "I'll go back and fix the typos, okay?" Negotiating is rather effective. I'm not the writer who just keeps going without looking back once. I reread my chapters several times, do a light clean. Every morning I read the last chapter I wrote and tweak. It keeps Inner Editor satisfied enough to play his Nintendo DS in the corner.

If you can cope with those three pitfalls—fear, getting stuck, and the Inner Editor—you can get your first draft written. It still might take a long time, but that's okay. Unless you have a deadline, there's no reason to rush. And if you do have a deadline, take reasonable bites, schedule, and don't beat yourself up if life gets in the way.

Ultimately, first drafts are a lesson in forgiveness. You have to cut yourself some slack. It's not going to be perfect no matter how much you try to make it perfect. So you just have to forgive yourself in advance for making mistakes.

Luckily, stories are malleable. And the first draft is just that—a first draft. You can always make it better with a healthy dose of editing. There's nothing wrong with work, right?