Four First Draft Lessons

Okay, Friends, some exciting news over here! I am currently working on the third act of my novel. Let me tell you…that middle chunk was a challenge! Now, I feel myself picking up speed and seeing a light at the end of the tunnel! I wanted to share four lessons I’ve learned as I continue working on the third act…

1) Learning to Enjoy. This is the truth: I’m learning to ENJOY the process of drafting. It’s hard work, but fulfilling too. Some days are still deeply frustrating, but literally seeing the progress as the number of words increases is hugely encouraging.

2) Slow & Steady. We’ve all heard the saying “slow and steady wins the race”. While your drafting process doesn’t necessarily have to be slow (although it’s totally okay if it is!) that steady part really resonates with me. These little bits of work add up sooner than you think, and suddenly there’s thousands of words and thoughts flooding a page.

3) Keep Reading. Maybe you’re thinking you should toss aside all fun reads until your first draft is done. However, I’m actually going to encourage the opposite. As I’ve been drafting, I’ve been reading lots of novels. Rather than discourage me, it’s been inspiring and empowering. It’s reminded me that a multitude of diverse stories exist. No two stories are exactly alike. I have something unique and interesting to offer. We all do.

4) Different Strokes. I’m layering on the cliches today, aren’t I? “Different strokes for different folks!” By this I mean, I’ve tried a slew of writing strategies and goals to see what works best for me. This takes trying and failing and trying something else. I’ve learned that a weekly word count goal works wonders for me. If I don’t happen to write more than 200 words on Monday, for example, it’s totally okay. This weekly word count goal relieves all sense of pressure, because it allows for flexibility in my schedule. I can write more on one particular day and skip the next if I have to. Or I can write every day! And if I happen to exceed the word count for the week, I get super excited, which adds momentum and motivation.

This is where I’m at right now. I can’t wait to share what lessons I learn by the end of this process. So for now, I’ll just say: keep your head up. Give yourself grace. Let us know where you’re at in the drafting process. We’re in this together.

Your friend with a pen,

Kaitlyn