First Draft Blues: Some Things To Keep In Mind When Writing Your First Draft

 First Draft Blues: Some Things To Keep In Mind When Writing Your First Draft

Hello my fellow writers! Today I bring to you a blogpost about the blues of first draft writing… and some things to remember when you’re feeling down about your writing.

I will be going over a couple of core things to keep in mind, and then talking about three of the hardest areas to write in your book… the beginning, middle, and end.

Your First Draft Doesn’t Have To Be Perfect

Your first draft doesn’t have to be polished and shining– in fact, it’s normal for it to be the opposite. You’re taking words and ideas in your head and shoving them onto a paper(or device). Of course it’s going to be a little(or a lot) messy– that is completely normal.

So if you’re feeling like your writing is cheesy and not what you want it to be, don’t worry about that while you’re drafting– focus on keeping words flowing.

You Don’t Have To Share It

Maybe you’re part of a writing group, or you’ve mentioned your story to your friends and now they want to read it. You don’t have to share it if you feel uncomfortable about sharing it. Maybe you will when you’ve had a chance to fix your grammar and organize your idea a little more.

Don’t let anyone pressure you into sharing– in fact, a lot of writers won’t. Trust me, most writers understand the fear of sharing their work with others. I know I do.

Take Breaks & Set A Pace

Listen, I know you want to write 5,000 words a day,  but if you have a job, or school, or just a busy schedule, don’t. You have to set a reasonable pace, or you’ll give yourself burnout.

And trust me, you don’t want burnout. 

Now, if you start feeling that fatigue when you stare at your paper or document, then it might be time for a little break. Maybe it’s for a day, or maybe it’s for a week. Either way, make sure to give yourself the chance to take a breather– writing can be hard sometimes (Or a lot of times).

Don’t Compare Yourself To Others

This is a hard one to do. You take a look at how someone’s writing 2,000 a day and you’re only writing 500, and you can’t help but feel a little down by your pace. The opposite is true as well– you feel better knowing that someone only writes 500 words a day compared to your 2,000.

Don’t compare– what you do is amazing, and comparing yourself to someone else will just make you feel sick and tired of writing. 

The same goes with comparing yourself to published authors. That book you see took time and a lot of work to get it to the point where you can buy it at a bookstore. 

Alright, now let’s move onto some of the harder parts to write.

The First Chapter(s)

Writing those first chapters, or even just the first chapter, can feel pretty daunting. You have that blank notebook or document staring at you as you struggle to find the right line to open your story.

Even though it’s hard, don’t worry about that right now– you’ll have plenty of time in editing and revising to craft that perfect hook line.

And with those first three or five chapters, when your story is just starting out, just keep pushing through it. You’ll get into a flow state sometime around then. And even if you change the story later on, you have something to stand on.

The Middle…

The middle is hard. That decent chunk of right around 5k-10k words that are right in between your desired word count is rough.

I’m currently at that spot in Storm of Blood at the moment: 44,000 words in, wanting to cry about the plot (not actually) and still having 6,000 words before I reach that flow state again… ugh.

Again, just keep pushing. Take a couple extra breaks if you need to. Evaluate your plot. Make a moodboard. Drink some coffee before starting. Do whatever you need to be able to face that rough middle section.

Writing The End

Trying to figure when to end can be hard– at least, for those of us who don’t plot a whole lot (or at all). Either way, trying to figure out that final line before the end can be daunting.

Like I said with that first line, write something strong and that you like. You can worry about making it iconic and serious or whatever vibe you’re going for once you’ve solidified your story a little more. Who knows, maybe you change the final chapters entirely.

Once you’ve written the end, I will give you a piece of advice that will truly be helpful.

Take a break. Just… rest in the knowledge that you wrote an entire story. Once you’ve had your break, then you will be able to look at your story with fresh eyes and begin the tumultuous process of editing.

 

And there it is! A couple of things to keep in mind when you’re writing out that first draft…

Make sure to comment, check out some of my other blogposts, and check out my YouTube channel: RL Writer, which you can find by clicking the My Youtube Channel button at the homepage.