Finishing a First Draft

This week I want to celebrate a client of mine. We’ll call her Karla. She’s been working hard on the first draft of her novel for fourteen months now, and she’s getting excitingly close to having a complete manuscript!

As a writer on the verge of a big milestone, I wanted to get Karla’s reflections on her process so far, and share her takeaways with you.

Karla, you’ve been working on your draft for just over a year. If you could talk to the Karla of a year ago, what would you tell her about this process?

I would tell her that writing a first draft is a long process, and it’s okay that it’s taking longer than she thought it would, even longer than it might take other writers. Some days will be harder than others, but if you push through the writer’s block and hard days, it is rewarding to meet your weekly page goals and see how far you’ve gotten in the story. You’re also laying down the foundation of your story, so it’s fine if what you’re writing now isn’t perfect. You’re setting yourself up to build and refine what you’ve already written when you come back and do edits.

You’re about three quarters of the way through your draft. Is there anything about the process so far that has been easier than you thought it would be? Anything that has been harder?

Easier: It’s [now] easier to sit down and write something. At first, I found it difficult to find the motivation to work because I saw how far I needed to go to say I’d written a first draft of something. It's also easier to sit down because it has become a habit or a routine to work on it throughout the week.

Harder: I still struggle with writing transitions between the scenes I planned out for my outline even though I’ve been writing for over a year. I didn’t realize how challenging it is to write a story that flows together until I had to do it myself.

As you near the end of your draft, has your outlook on the writing process changed at all? Is it easier to find the energy or motivation to write?

I have more respect for the people who write or work with writers. I always knew writing a book took time, but I didn’t realize how long the process actually takes until I attempted to do it myself. It is easier to find the motivation to write now. As I gray out the scenes I’ve already written in my outline, I can see the end of my story. I find it motivational to see that I’ve grayed out almost all the boxes.

If someone is about to start drafting their novel, or is in the drafting process and is struggling, what advice would you give them?

Don’t compare yourselves to other writers. Everyone has a different writing process and writing speed. If you write more slowly than the people you see online, or you don’t have as much time to write, that’s okay. Take it one scene or page at a time, your story will come out in its own time, and people will be excited to read it whenever it’s ready. If you’re stuck during a scene, take a break and do something else for a bit. I’ve found that when I’m stuck on something, I’ll go on a walk or do something around my house. Most of the time while I’m doing something else, I’ll think of an idea of what I can include to help me get unstuck.

Once your draft is finished, what do you think your next steps for your novel will be?

I’m going to finish making the corrections you recommended as my book coach. Once I’m done with that, I’m going to find an editor to work with to polish up my story.

I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to support Karla through her drafting process with submission deadlines and feedback on her pages.

If you’re writing a first draft, and especially if you’ve been frustrated with how long the process is taking, I hope that hearing Karla’s experience provides some reassurance that you will get to type The End. Just keep taking small, steady steps toward your goal. It may not be flashy, but as you can see, it works.