Writing A First Draft

I've had a couple of people who've told me they have ideas for stories, but they aren't sure how to write them. There are a lot of different ways to write a first draft. The most important thing is to sit down and write. Whether you're writing in a notebook or on a computer, set aside chunks of time, be consistent, and write whatever comes to you.

Not For Robots, by Laini Taylor, is a collection of essays on writing. If you're at all interested in writing, I highly recommend clicking the link and reading what she has there.

Some people write outlines first. I've tried that. Following an outline doesn't work for me, but it might work for you. I like to have an outline in my head. In other words, I have an idea of where the story is going before I start, but I haven't planned out everything. If I get a better idea, I use the delete button. Yes, I do edit while I'm writing my first draft. Some writers don't.

Even when I think I know how a scene is going to go, it changes as I write it. Last night, I finished a scene where I'd planned on having X take presents to Z. I wanted to have Y go along as well, but then realized he couldn't because of an injury. Oy! So, as I'm writing, Z shows up at X's door. X and Z have an interesting conversation (in terms of plot and characterization), during which Y and Z fail to recognize each other. There were a lot of other things that clicked into place that wouldn't make sense out of context, but the scene that I wrote was so much better than the one I'd planned.

Usually I can't see more than a paragraph or two ahead of where I am in the story, but as long as I keep writing, the story keeps coming. And it's exciting to see how the story unfolds.

I average about 500 words an hour, if I'm focused on what I'm doing. That's an hour of actual writing. Checking my e-mail or googling who knows what doesn't figure into that. So, if I plan on writing a 60,000 word first draft (not that I write to fill in a word count), it's going to take me at least 120 hours. I reward myself for every thousand words by writing it on a calendar. That may seem silly, but it makes me happy, and it lets my family see where I am (or warns them that I'm functioning on less sleep than I should be).

If I get stuck, I analyze why I'm stuck. If it's because I don't know my characters well enough, I free-write about a particular character until I understand what motivates them. If I'm not sure what to do next, I'll skip to a scene that comes later and write from there. I don't stop and let myself have "writer's block." If I get out of the habit of writing, I start to dread it, and it becomes a bigger deal than it should be to get started again.

Writing is work, but I think it is worth it. I love when the pieces come together and form a picture that suddenly feels 3-D, and I love when the words sound perfect. I like falling in love with my characters and rooting for them. In a lot of ways, it's like reading, only harder and more fulfilling. You'll have to decide what works for you and whether or not it's worth it.

If you've written or are writing a first draft, I'd love to hear what works for you.