I'm up to page 193 of my fantasy story. I'm still having fun. Nearing the end now of first draft. It's been an easy story to write up to now. I was reading that some writers finish a story in six months. Well, I'm not one of them.
Writing the first draft:
Points to remember.
- Have fun
- Do a rough outline of where your story is going (if it works for you)
- Look at the snowflake method http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php
- Profile - Write down your main characters likes, dislikes, e.g. what makes them tick. And keep updating the profile as you write.
- Why is the main character in this story?
- What is their want to keep them in the story until the end?
- Profile any other characters and what makes them tick.
First draft
- Start anywhere you want. Some writers start in the middle of the story. There is no right or wrong here. some writers write in large slabs and then move these slabs around until they are happy with they way they connect.
- Set realistic goals. E.g. Mine is 10 pages per week.
- Allow yourself to write badly. http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/5-tips-for-quickly-writing-your-first.html
- Watch out for middle sag. Often if the main character (MC) doesn't have strong enough motivation to get what they want or you have not fleshed out this character enough your story will sag and you will feel like you can't move on. Go back to your MC profile and fill it out some more. Then look at the first few chapters. Did you start the story in the right place? Maybe you need to get rid of the first chapter because it doesn't start at the pivotal point.
- Stuck: Starting at a blank screen is so disheartening. Only do this if you are really stuck otherwise move forwards. Go back to the previous chapters and check that you have the MC on character.
- Keep moving forwards. Don't go back and make each chapter perfect. That's done in the second draft otherwise you'll be stuck there for too long and you lose the flow.
- Keep to the story. When you are writing a thriller ensure that you don't end up writing about flowers or how beautiful the river is.
- Remember. You have to start somewhere. A baby doesn't give up because it falls over when it first attempts to walk.
- When you get to the end. Celebrate and congratulate yourself. You've just run a marathon, literally.
Cheers.
