5 More Tips for Writing a Good First Draft

By georgelthomas on 2 Mar 2021 • ( 0 )

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all well and that you’re feeling creatively fulfilled. Today I’m sharing some more tips on writing that all-important first draft.

5 More Tips for Writing a Good First Draft

1 Don’t Give In
Writing anything can be difficult, even more so if you’re just starting out. Depending on the scale of your project, starting a first draft can be daunting, and while writing is hard work, it is well worth the effort. I say this a lot but it’s true: there is no feeling like the one you get when you bring something from the abstract into the concrete – something that wasn’t in the world anywhere before you created it. It’s very satisfying.

2 Begin with a Prompt
If you’re finding it difficult to begin, or if you just don’t know where to start, writing prompts may be helpful. They are a great tool to use as a jumping off point if you’re feeling stuck. There are plenty of writing prompts to be found through google and it can also be helpful to use more than one, or, to make things a little more interesting, you could try combining multiple prompts.

3 Try to Create a Routine
A routine can help you to stay productive which is key to you finishing your draft. A great way to start to build a routine is to begin your writing sessions at the same time every day, and to try to write for set amount of time, remembering to factor in breaks. Over time this will become a habit and you’ll find yourself finishing more of the work you start.

4 Start in the Middle
If you are averse to writing the ending of your stories first (which some writers are), try starting with a scene from the middle of your story. It can help you to dive right into the action of the story and you can work backwards or forwards from there. A lot of people struggle with the middle because lots of complicated character growth usually happens here, so it can also be helpful to get the trickier parts or the more bulkier parts of your story written first.

5 Remember that First Drafts are Rubbish
The main purpose of a first draft is to help us to work out the story we’re telling and get it down in a more or less competed form as fast as possible. They are supposed to be imperfect piles of mess. Once you have a complete story, you work from a first draft and build the story up with layers during your second and third drafts (or however many drafts you feel you need). So don’t be discouraged if you feel that your work isn’t perfect, because nobody’s is. All first drafts are rubbish.

As always, thank you for reading my words, I hope they’ve helped!

Until next time,

George