![]() ![]() Opinions will vary here (it is writing after all), but I believe a good first draft contains the following elements:Ī conflict with a beginning, middle, and ending: There must be a problem that needs solving, and the attempts to solve that problem. (Here's more on how first drafts don't always suck) You might need to kick out a draft to see which you prefer or which style works best. Most of the time you know what style, POV, and voice you want to write in, but it’s not uncommon to be torn between first and third person, or using single or multiple points of view. If you’re the type who does extensive character work before writing, odds are this aspect of the draft will be solid and your characters will start out as three-dimensional people. Sometimes you need to get in and write in that world with your characters to figure out what you want to do. It isn’t until I see them in action that I know who they really are. But as long as you get the story down in enough detail you personally need to be able to write a “good” first draft (this will vary by writer and their expectations), the draft is doing its job.įor some (like me), a first draft is about exploring the idea and/or characters. If you prefer to pants or figure out the plot as you go along, your first drafts will probably be rougher and take more revision. For example, if you outline extensively, odds are your first drafts will be fairly clean and organized storywise. How much work you like to do beforehand determines how “finished” a first draft might be. As the saying goes, writing is rewriting, and most of the real work on a novel is done after the first draft.Ī first draft is just a brain dump to find a home for the story rattling around in your head and a way to figure out the best way to tell said story. First drafts are usually sloppy, plothole-filled messes, and nobody gets them perfect the first time (unless they have decades of experience as an author, and even then it’s rare). ![]() Any suggestions?Ī: First thing, don’t be so hard on yourself. I get disheartened when I go back and read the sloppy, plothole-filled mess. I keep expecting to write a finished product in one go, then I change the story by chapter three, and I never manage to finish the story I started. Q: As a new writer, I always have the worst time writing first drafts. By Janice Hardy, of the Your Writing Questions Answered Series ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |