I'm also well aware the blog looks...less than pretty. We're undergoing some renovations at the moment and the workers seem to be on strike. Don't worry, I'll have everything worked out within the month.
In the mean time, the show must go.
I'm knee deep in a first draft. Blasting through chapters. 3000 words a day. Everything is looking great. No way I wont be published within the year!
Just kidding.
The draft is barely deep enough to wet my shoes let alone drown in. So...here I am...about to give you advice on first drafts...advice I clearly need to be listening to myself.
There's so many things to say about first drafts, but I think the key element I have found is that first drafts, above all else, are worthless. Not worthless in the sense that you don't need one, worthless in the sense that if all you have is a first draft you have nothing.
First drafts are a necessary evil that need to be dealt with before the real beast can be slain. What you write in your first draft wont last. It will however take you places you never thought your novel would go. Here's a little guide I've developed for myself to follow, I hope it will be helpful for you.
1.) Craft your map. Make your outline. Plan your journey. Even if its only chicken scratch on a napkin have some sort of semblance of a plan.
2.) Leave the map behind, it will only slow you down. What I mean by this is don't be afraid to deviate from your outline. Let your story steal you away. Its as much a journey for you as it is for your characters.
3.) Write fast and write hard. Scribble outside the lines. Don't take time to make it pretty, trust me it wont be anyway so your wasting precious time fixing mistake you will just delete in a month.
Sidenote*: I know I said first drafts are worthless but if you have a draft that is no good don't just delete it! You don't like what you've written? Good. You know what you wrote sucks and you're already ahead of half the other new writers out there. Writing is re-writing. Find your problems. Fix them.
4.) First drafts are for you, not for others. Just finishing your first draft and thinking about sending it to publishers? Think again. First drafts are confidential. If you show it to someone you will have to kill them because odds are what they have to say wont be nice.
5.) Better yet, don't tell anyone at all you're writing it. Especially casual acquaintances. For awhile I told people I wrote because it's my hobby. Guess what all they have to ask about when they see me is? You got it. My book that's not finished.
No its not done.
No you can't read it.
No it will not be published soon.
Bottom line: they don't get it. Keep it to yourself and trusted writing confidants.
-B
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