What Is a First Draft? A first draft, also known as a rough draft, is
the very first version of a piece of writing
—a rough sketch of what your finished work will be like. A first draft is written after the outline is finished and is usually done without much editing.
How do you start the first draft of a novel?
- Set a goal. You want to get the main points of your story down quickly, without getting hung up on word choice and sentence flow. …
- Do your prewriting. …
- Let ideas flow free. …
- Outline it. …
- Forget editing. …
- Start where you want. …
- Take breaks. …
- Finish it.
How bad are first drafts of novels?
Let’s start off with a fact: most (if not all)
first drafts are terrible
. Even Ernest Hemingway says so. There’s not really any avoiding this, not even for the most talented or experienced writer. … But in practice, many writers still suffer from worries and setbacks during their first drafts.
What is a second draft of a novel?
Why Do You Need a Second Draft? In the second draft stage,
you take the roughly formed story of your first draft and go through it analytically
. It’s where you tweak the big picture of your writing and make any necessary alterations.
What should be in a first draft?
- Just write. You already have at least one focusing idea. …
- Make an outline. Write your topic or thesis down and then jot down what points you might make that will flesh out that topic or support that thesis. …
- Begin with research.
How long should a first draft novel be?
The first draft process can take anywhere from
two weeks to one year
, depending on how much time you’ve set aside to write, how long your novel is, and how fast you write.
How long should you leave a first draft?
The Writing Co-operative suggest
4-6 weeks
as a good break. Curtis Brown suggest 2 weeks. I’d say as long as it takes you to get some distance. With my first novel, I too a bit longer than most, partly because I was working on so many other projects at the same time.
How do you draft?
- Outline your core topic. …
- Identify your audience. …
- Plan with pre-writing. …
- Make a mess and clean it up in later. …
- Avoid adding minute details. …
- Start writing without engaging your inner critic. …
- Don’t stop to do more research. …
- Seek appropriate feedback.
How do I finish my first draft?
The best way to finish that first draft is
to develop a writing routine
. Make writing a daily habit. Set goals for yourself. Do a bit every day and in a few weeks you’ll be able to finish a story.
How do I write my first draft without editing?
- Turn off your monitor. …
- Start each day with a fresh page–at the end of a writing session, copy the last sentence into a new document along with some instructions to yourself about what’s next. …
- Write with a timer. …
- Write by hand.
What is another word for first draft?
| rough diamond design | diamond in the rough first stab | mock-up raw material | rough outline rough sketch | study unlicked cub |
|---|
How do I read my first draft?
- Don’t start straight away: Resist the urge to read through your novel as soon as you’ve finished writing it. …
- Format your work properly: Sort out the format of your novel before you read it through.
How many drafts does a novel have?
For many published authors I know, myself included, a completed novel takes them about
10
, that’s right, 10 drafts, and at least a year of real editing.
Why are first drafts so bad?
First drafts are bad
because they are overwritten
. It’s so hard to complete the first draft without having overwritten in some (or many) parts. We are trying so hard to get our point across that we use far too many words and tell our readers what’s going on rather than showing them.
How do you make a good draft?
- Write in the active voice. The active voice eliminates confusion by forcing you to name the actor in a sentence. …
- Use action verbs. …
- Use “must” instead of “shall”. …
- Be direct. …
- Use the present tense. …
- Write positively. …
- Avoid use of exceptions. …
- Avoid split infinitives.
What is the next step after writing a first draft?
What Is the Process of Writing a
Second Draft
? Once you’ve finished your first draft, the first thing to do is go back to the beginning of your manuscript and carefully read through it. The second draft is all about finding surprises along the way and starting to tease out the shape of your story.
