I have about a half dozen (or so) stories that I’ve started and abandoned over the years. You’re looking at me right now and going, “welcome to the club. We have T-shirts.” It’s true; as writers, we get ideas all the time that don’t have legs. I’m talking about a deeper problem than a story not having legs. We’re talking about first draft problems. We’re going to look at how to write a first draft and keep it out of an early grave.

Drafting is huge, the first draft more so than any other. After all, it is the draft you absolutely have to get through. If you don’t, you don’t have a story. That’s why we’re going to break this topic up into three parts:

• The Spark: Brainstorming tricks to help you get the words flowing
• The System: Ways to train yourself for a more efficient first draft
• The Mindset: How to get yourself out of the perfectionist loop and finish your draft

How Many Drafts Does It Take?

There’s no one right answer to that question. That’s not a cop-out. It’s just the basic fact that every author has a process, and not every story is going to need you to review it fifty times. That said, I know that as writers, we typically don’t give ourselves the drafts we need before we publish. I read a lot of independently published work and no matter how much I enjoy the stories, the media critic in my brain always goes, “this could have used one more draft.”

That’s not me passing judgment on my fellow authors. I do this too. We do it because in the world of self-publishing, the rule is simple: publish or perish. You have to get work out there as often as you can. It’s how you get seen. It’s how readers learn to trust you as an author. That backlog tells them that you won’t disappear. It says you have a vigorous imagination. Importantly, it tells them that you will feed their need to read.

The short cut we too often take is in the drafting process. That’s what this series is for. We don’t have to take short cuts. We just have to master the process.

Key Takeaway: How to Write a First Draft

Step One: Write badly. Like, don’t write in a way that hurts you to write. We have a level of writing we prefer. What I mean by writing badly is,

• Just write. Don’t ask yourself if you’re getting the thoughts out perfectly. Just get them out.
• Skip around. You don’t have to get every idea on the page. Just get the things that are there. If you feel a block, skip ahead to the next thing you know.
• Don’t touch the backspace key. This isn’t the time to worry about consistency or if you already have a specific conversation. That’s what editing is for.

Writing Prompt:

Didn’t think a series introduction would have a writing prompt, did you? This one is simple. You’re just going to write. It doesn’t need to be long. Aim for 300-500 words as a goal, though if you feel like continuing, you can.

The Character Hook: Pick any two characters you want, ideally from a work in progress. These characters don’t have to be major characters, and they don’t have to be characters that would naturally interact in the story. If you want to really have fun, they don’t have to be from the same story.

The Plot Hook: There isn’t one. Pluck your chosen two characters out, put them in a room together, and then write what happens. You’re not looking for major plot beats or conflicts. Just two people thrown together. Let it be funny, or awkward, or even cringy. The only thing you’re looking for is the flow of words.