Draft One: I mean, you showed up, and that’s all that really matters. Being the underwriter that I am, I usually don’t even finish my first drafts. This is half because I work my way into corners, and half because I don’t actually know where the story is going. There’s no plot or character development to speak of, but the good thing about this one is at least you see that before you keep going.
Draft Two: This one’s all about seeing where the first draft went wrong and changing it so that this time, you actually reach the end. You still have the wrong villain, and nothing makes sense, but it makes slightly more sense than the first draft. You see your mistakes, but you still keep going. Why do you keep going?
Draft Three: “Hey, I can fix that!” No, you can’t. “There’s so much from Draft Two I can reuse!” Haha, no. No you can’t. This is the one that fools you. You think you know what all the issues are, and you think you know how to fix them. You also think that this is the shit. And then you reread it a couple of times and it’s not the shit, it’s just shit. This is usually where my writing most closely resembles the idea I had in my head.
Draft Four: Okay, so maybe the idea in your head didn’t exactly fit the criteria for a good novel. You cut up draft three, you rewrite and Frankenstein the scenes around. You mean some authors only go through three drafts? Sounds fake. You wish that you wrote it this way in the first place. Doubt sets in. It’s been there for a while, but during this draft it really seeps into your bones. Maybe this story just isn’t good enough to make it through all these rounds of revision?
Draft Five: Draft five comes long after you thought you’d just give up already. You think you see where your plot issues are, finally. Finally, you think you know how to fix it. And you set off again to sail over uncertain waters, only this time your developed characters and strong worldbuilding is by your side.
Did a bit of writing last night after work, and ended up with my brain telling me to get up and write at 5, this morning. Got some stuff I’m really happy with, however, and crossed 40,000 words! Woot! Attached is a wee sample from Chapter 8 of the first draft. (FIRST draft… so typos will be there for sure.lol)
In the process of writing, I also MAY have had a few ideas that pushed this from a 6 book series to a 7 book series. lol
This is actually advice my mentoring professor gave me when I was writing my first thesis.
He said: Accept that you are never done. There is always more to know, more to research, more questions raised than answered. At some point, you just got to start writing.
Now,“easier said than done, this accepting”, I thought.
I started writing because my thesis deadline was looming. But what if you’re writing a novel and you have no deadline? How do you know when it’s okay to stop researching? When is it okay to stop worldbuilding? (Which is just like doing research, but in your own head instead of in reality.)
My advice to you is: start writing, and you’ll run into the gaps you still need to fill. Then you know what to research before starting your second draft. Let your story tell you what it needs.
For example:
Just fill your margins with a to-research-list for your future self.
That way, it’s also managable: “I finished my first draft, and I have a list of 317 things I need to decide on.” Instead of: “I saw on tumblr that you can’t build a world without knowing everything about the sewage system! And gosh, I haven’t invented three languages yet!”
Advantages:
You get things done.
It’s not overwhelming.
You don’t spend your time inventing things you’ll like so much that you want to infodump them into your story.
You mainly research things that are relevant to your story.
Well, knowing you, you already researched enough irrelevant stuff too.
You get things done.
I hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to ask me any questions, and happy writing!
Follow me for more writing advice, or check out my other writing advice here. New topics to write advice about are also always welcome.
Tag list below the cut, a few people I like and admire and of course, you can be too. If you like to be added to or removed from the list, let me know.
You’re constantly forcing yourself to write it, and you excessively check your wordcount tracker to make sure you’ve hit your daily goal. Its a chore for you to work on it, and you feel guilty thinking about it abandoning it after working on it for so long.
#2. Something feels…off
Whether it’s the characters, the setting, or the plot, there’s something that doesn’t seem quite right, and it keeps bothering you. You want to change it, but changing it means you have to start from scratch, and you don’t want to.
#3. You keep making plot holes
Some amount of plot holes are normal—but the narrative in your story makes no sense. You keep coming up with half-developed ideas and writing them in without knowing the entire context, just to make your wip more interesting.
#4. You feel disappointed in your writing
Your writing quality seems to have degraded, even though you know you can write much better. Its upsetting and demotivating because you don’t put in as much effort or care as much about writing your wip, and you question whether or not you’re actually good at writing at all.
#5. You have many ideas, but you’re afraid to implement them
You have ideas to change your wip completely, but once again you feel too afraid to do it. You don’t know if you’ll be able to stick with the wip for long enough, so you keep procrastinating on it.
Word Count: 73,000 Genre: Apocalyptic, zombie, romance, LGBTQ+
I’ve recently finished going through the (very) rough first draft of my novel, Rabidand am ready to get some feedback. Please note: this is by no means a polished product. If you’re still interested, here’s the premise (TW for a virus in these uncertain times):
Set in modern-day Australia after a weaponised retrovirus has wiped out 95% off the population, and left the rest as feral, animalistic zombies known as rabids, Rabidis the story of two girls travelling across this barren, hellish landscape with only the vaguest hopes of survival spurring them on.
In a world of danger and uncertainty, only one thing is clear: when you get bitten by a rabid, you turn. This takes minutes at most, and is the one law that has shaped what remains of the country. The only problem? Heather was bitten three months ago.
She still hasn’t turned.
Searching for answers leads her to Casey, a doctor hiding out in a rural hospital, waiting for a rescue that’s never going to come. Together they form an unlikely alliance, and embark on a journey that will take them across the outback in search of a cure. Travelling from safe zone to safe zone, they encounter raiders, cultists, mad scientists, the military, and rabids.
Lots and lots of rabids.
If you’re interested, shoot me a message for more details! If you’re not interested, a share could really help get the word out to those who are <3
It can be anything. A cup of coffee with milky swirls. An emotion like fear or anger. The way a soft blanket feels in bed. Just begin describing something in detail and let it guide you into the next paragraph and see what you come up with. This can be helpful with writer’s block as well.
Watch as I describe a sweater:
I loved that red sweater. Not the balled-up fabric that felt scratchy against my skin. But the memories soaked into the material. The sleeves stained with mascara tears.
Check out how I finally finished my first draft! #finishit
The way Samwise looks was the way I felt!
Finally finished! For now…
On November 17, 2021, my birthday, I finally finished the first draft to my fantasy novel. This is the first time this has happened for me. Never before have I finished something longer than 35,000 words. The sense of accomplishment was satisfying, gratifying and brought on much needed relief. What a great birthday present to…
We are more Than who we love And love is more Than mere romance
Not vital to our grand identity Not a measure Of our worth
Feelings made of pearls and Lips and roses Eclipse those built from Trust and friendship And family
Passion for Creation. Admiration For thought Even the underrated love of Self
Existing as an interest Is not my core Sure as hell not my headline Not my last thought of daylight Or my first dream of the night time Expanded to a focus point A central fiber of our existence Magnified to the life-giving sun When it’s a mere twinkling star
We are thinkers We are souls We are creators of new worlds I don’t want a hand to hold I need those free For great things
And if I fall each night In solitude I will know it doesn’t mean A damn thing because I Am more
Fear. We all fear that one thing that doesn’t exist. And no, I’m not referring to those monsters that live under your bed nor the creatures that live underneath our whereabouts, or maybe I am. Who knows? I’m just a girl, writing behind this Tumblr screen and only God knows my whereabouts. But here’s what I know for sure. Each and every one of us has something to be scared for whether it’s our school essays due, credit card debt, or to a real danger ahead us. But then again, who knows? No matter how much you deny the fact that you aren’t scared of anything, in the end of the day, we all fear something for sure, whether it’s tiny or enormous. And what do I fear you ask? I fear the fact that I’m growing up.
We’ve made it to the final week! You all are so close to finishing your scripts and have officially made it over the second act hump. Keep up the good work and don’t forget to get that feedback!
I find the third act easier to write than the second, as it’s a culmination of everything you’ve been building toward. However, the third act isn’t without its challenges. Going into the third act, you’ve set up the climax, the most intense emotional and/or physical part of your story. The stakes and obstacles should be at their highest.
The resolution should tie up the main plot line and potentially tie up some subplots as well. Ambiguous endings are also great, but there still needs to be a moment of finality, even if there’s a question at the end. Think of Lost in Translation (minor spoilers ahead): Bob and Charlotte embrace, Bob whispers something, and they go their separate ways. It’s a final moment with questions still posed.
By next week, Aug. 18, 11:59pm (PST), complete and submit the following:
You’re completed script! For a 120 page feature, your third act should be about 30 pages (about 23 for a 90 page feature)
Send at least one act your script to at least 2 people and ask for feedback. Submit marked up version of at least one act of your script.
Congrats to everyone who’s made it this far! You’re halfway there. The 2nd act is what constitutes the majority of your film. It’s twice as long as the other two acts, starting after your 1st act turning point and your protagonist will go on a journey that will become more and more difficult until they reach the “all hope is lost” moment: the 2nd act turning point.
For this week, you’ll be finishing up the second act, stopping at your second act turning point. The second act turning point is not the “final showdown” but the point where your protagonist is at their lowest and they have either failed or succeeded in their initial goal (Think of Miguel and Hector in the cenote in Coco. Miguel found his great grandfather - his initial goal - but it’s not who he thought and now he has a new goal: get Hector’s photo from Ernesto.)
As always, do not procrastinate. I always find the part between the midpoint and the second act turning point to be the most difficult
By next week, Aug. 12, 11:59pm (PST), complete and submit the following:
Second half of Act 2 (roughly 30 pages for a 120 page feature)
By Aug. 19th, 11:59pm (PST), complete and submit the following:
Send at least one act your script to at least 2 people and ask for feedback. I can count as one of the two. I recommend sending your script to more than 2 people, in case people don’t respond.
Submit a marked up version of one act as proof you got feedback. Those who got feedback from me do not need to send my markups. If you get feedback on discord, screenshot it or @me so I see it.
You’ve written your first act! Congratulations!! Now that you’ve gotten over the challenge of the blank page, it’s time to get your story moving!
The 2nd act is what constitutes the majority of your film. It’s twice as long as the other two acts, starting after your 1st act turning point and your protagonist will go on a journey that will become more and more difficult until they reach the “all hope is lost” moment: the 2nd act turning point.
For this week, you’ll just be tackling the first half of the second act, stopping at your midpoint. Your midpoint should be a major event that twists the story in a new direction, but it’s crucial that your characters are still pursuing the end goal (which they will either succeed or fail to achieve by the 2nd act turning point).
Do not procrastinate. You’ve completed your first 30 pages and know how long it takes. The second act is almost always harder to write than the first. Give yourself time during the week so you don’t feel rushed and you can promote creativity.
By next week, Aug. 4, 11:59pm (PST), complete and submit the following:
First half of Act 2 (roughly 30 pages for a 120 page feature)
By Aug. 11th, 11:59pm (PST), complete and submit the following:
Send at least one act your script to at least 2 people and ask for feedback. I can count as one of the two. I recommend sending your script to more than 2 people, in case people don’t respond.
Submit a marked up version of one act as proof you got feedback. Those who got feedback from me do not need to send my markups. If you get feedback on discord, screenshot it or @me so I see it.
You have made it to the script-writing phase! Congrats to everyone who’s made it this far! Now you get to see all your outlining and development pay off. These last few weeks are going to be more intense, as you’ll be writing approximately 30 pages a week until the end of the challenge.
This week, you will be writing all of Act One - approximately ¼ of your script. For a 120-page feature, this is roughly 30 pages. While you have planned extensively for this moment, I just want to reiterate some points regarding the first act. All of your major characters, your conflict, antagonist (if there is one), and your character’s goal should be established within these first few pages.
Some things to remember when writing your first draft:
Do not procrastinate. 30 pages is a lot and trying to write at the last minute is stressful and hinders creativity. Set aside time every day to knock out a few pages.
Use your outline and treatment for guidance. If you get stuck, it’s a good way to remember the goal of each scene is to move the story toward your main plot points you outlined. For this week, you should hit your inciting incident around page 15 and your first act turning point around page 30.
Use proper screenplay format. There is free and paid software available that I have linked to below. You can format it manually, but it’s more difficult.
Break up action description into chunks no bigger than 3 sentences long. Blocks of text are harder to read in scripts and generally make it too dense.
This is a first draft. All it has to do is exist. Don’t get too hung up on finding exactly the right snappy line or the perfect action description.
Scan the draft for grammar and spelling mistakes before submitting it. It is best practice and will make your script more professional and easy to read
In addition to writing a draft, you will be sharing your script. By the end of the challenge, send at least 1 act to two people to receive feedback on what works and what needs to be improved. A piece of advice I was given that I always found helpful, is to send your script to your most honest friend, and your most professional friend.
You can get great feedback in our screenwriting workshop on discord! I will also be giving feedback as usual, but I do not count toward the two outside readers. The reason is so you can get opinions other than my own and to help you get comfortable sharing your work.
No script is ever perfect and a lot of times writers overlook mistakes because they already know the story inside and out. If something doesn’t make sense to an outsider, something probably got lost in translation from your mind to the page. (That being said, you don’t have to make all the changes recommended to you if you truly believe the critique to be incorrect.)
By next week, July 29, 11:59pm (PST), complete and submit the following:
For a short that is 15-30 pages, the first act would be a quarter of the total page count, roughly 4-7 pages.
If you are writing a pilot, the first act should be a quarter of the final page length. Dramas (44-60 pgs) would be around 11-15 pages and sitcoms (25-40 pgs) would be around 6-10 pages.
By Aug. 19th, 11:59pm (PST), complete and submit the following:
Send your script to at least 2 people and ask for feedback. I recommend sending your script to more than 2 people, in case people don’t respond.
Submit a marked up version of at least Act 1 as proof you got feedback. Those who got feedback from me do not need to send my markups. If you get feedback on discord, @me so I see it.
Hear me out on this one. There’s a lot of advice out there (I’ve given it myself) about being okay with writing a shitty first draft, and I basically agree with the premise. Too many new writers get paralyzed with the expectation that they should be able to sit down and barf out a flawless masterpiece, when in actuality good stuff usually requires a TON of editing in the post-first-draft stages.
However. As someone who has been writing and editing my shit for 20 years now, I must say that, more and more, when I get lost in the weeds in a writing project, when I get so far down a theoretical rabbit hole I can’t remember what the fuck my story is even supposed to be about, when I get to that point where I feel like the more I write the worse it gets… it’s the first draft I return to for clues about the real essence of what it is I’m trying to write. And it never, ever lets me down.
Your first draft has magic in it.
That initial spark, that thread of a story, that excitement you had that made you want to start this project… it’s living somewhere inside your first draft, and it’s precious as fuck. And it’s a sad truth that, sometimes, the more you edit, the more that spark gets lost. So you may need to return to your first draft to find it again.
I’m not saying don’t edit. I’m not saying that your first draft is a genius work of art that’s ready to publish. I’m saying there’s SOMETHING in there which is true and magical and important, and in the long run it may do you a disservice to think of it as “shitty,” crappy, useless, garbage, etc. You may miss out on what it has to offer you.
Things you might discover in your first draft that can get your project back on track (and/or get you excited again about a piece that’s started to make you cranky):
A particular character you love who you decided “wasn’t important” and cut from your story
An important emotion that’s being conveyed
A unique rhythm or style that got lost after too much editing
A fun story thread
An atmosphere, place, or description that excites you
A general feeling in the writing or the story
A sense of why you wanted to write this in the first place
What do you all think? Has this happened to you? Do you ever go back to your first draft and realize it’s NOT garbage? That it has something special you want to keep and develop throughout your editing process?
