Here’s the thing about first drafts: They are fun, but they are also scary. They are messy and muddled and awkward and hard. They have no guarantee. And they can make perfectionists like me very, very uncomfortable.
But they are worth it for the times when everything works and, anyway, they have to be done in order to get to revisions. Even on the difficult days.
And those days do come.
Unfortunately, there’s no category for Personal Cheering Section in the help-wanted ads, and the cats would rather sleep on the couch than rah-rah-rah me into getting all the new words written. So when I’ve used up my last jar of inspiration, and my motivation has fled, I have to flail those pom-poms myself.
Throughout my recent two-month long frenzy of creative chaos — otherwise known as a first draft — I did just that. To be specific, I built a page of reminders to look at any time my typing lagged. As the manuscript grew, so did my list, because I learn new things every time I write a book or, more likely, I learn the same things over and over, forgetting in between.
Here, prettied up for your sake, and shared in case it provides inspiration (perhaps to those embarking on NaNoWriMo), is my memo to myself:
Tell a good story.
Write now. Revise later.
Have fun. Smile. And then send a knife hurtling toward your protagonist.
Go on. She can take it.
Forget layering in emotion, setting, symbols, and theme for now. This is an empty tortilla, baby. Only one floppy layer to be had. Fill it later.
At some point — usually three days — it will be harder to stop than it is to keep going.
Until then, write it anyway.
You have finished books before. You will do it again.
Probably even this one.
Comparing an untamed first draft to a previous book’s reworked, polished, final form is like comparing a supermodel’s eighth grade school picture with her Vogue spread. Not fair. Everyone looks awkward at the beginning. The pretty comes later.
The book will not be perfect.
The book will not be perfect.
The book will not be perfect.
But it can be fixed. That’s what revisions are for.
Just type.
Don’t look down.
How do you convince yourself to keep going on difficult writing days?
That’s a terrific idea to leave notes to yourself. The first drafts are usually the easy thing for me. But being more of a pantser, they require a lot of revision. That’s probably where I’d need the encouragement.
Oh, Suzi, I know exactly what you mean! I love revisions, but at the same time they can be hard, especially when you reach a tricky spot. I haven’t created a list of motivational tips for my revisions, because I can’t think of any that fit, but if you do please let me know!
I never thought to write notes to myself. Great idea. Thanks for sharing it with us!
It really helps! I’m sure everyone’s list would be a little different. It would be fun to see what you came up with if you tried it. 🙂
It’s like you’re reading my heart right now and telling me exactly what I need to hear. So if you happen to find your hit count insane on this particular post over the next couple months — it’ll just be me coming back for the pep-talk over and over and over.
Thanks lady. :0)
Seriously.
So glad to hear that! I was hoping the list would help others, too. And, yes, feel free to bookmark and return, print it out, post links, whatever helps. Best of luck with your draft!
The best part about the first draft is that you can tell all you want. You can get it out of your system. 😀
Yes! So true! Isn’t that great? Or you can write, INSERT SETTING HERE or …AND THEN THEY TALK ABOUT ______ A LITTLE BIT and move on. You know, not because I actually write things like that in my first drafts, but I could if I wanted to… 😀
That’s how I felt when I tried writing my first poem. Now I say to myself, “Just Write”!!
http://www.anucreations.blogspot.in
http://www.facebook.com/VolatileSpirits
Oh, yes! I used to feel that way when I wrote poems, too! Since poems are short there’s so much pressure to make every word count, which can really bring out the perfectionist in me – and in other people, too, I assume! Good job overcoming that!
Love the memo to self and the ‘Personal Cheering Section’. Too bad we can’t bottle that for writers!
Thanks! And, yes, wouldn’t it be nice if we could have our own bottles of inspiration for ourselves? Just crack open a bottle and we’re ready to write.
I loved your “jar of inspiration” and the idea of the first draft as a floppy tortilla shell!
Thanks, Margo! The hard part is just remembering the tortilla thing when actually writing. I always want to fill, fill, fill right then.
Happy writing!
Hi Caryn, nice to meet you. My first drafts are well.. something only I can make sense of. I have finally learnt to let loose the words during my first draft by sending the inner editor on a long holiday.
So glad to hear I’m not the only one with tangled-up first drafts! I know some people who send theirs out to beta readers or even their editors, but they must do a lot of editing while they write. Fantastic that you’re able to send your inner editor away! That’s when the writing really gets fun.
That is all excellent advice, and it makes me giddy to draft again. I’m getting tired of revisions.
Ha! I know that feeling. I love to revise – more, even, than to draft a new book – but after a while it’s so fun to start on something new. Good luck with your revisions! I hope you’re done soon!
Lovely idea about writing notes to ourselves. Thanks. I’m going to use it now. Great post.
Nas
Definitely! I used to write in a journal, but in lieu of that I find that writing notes to myself really helps, as long as I don’t mind the weirdness of addressing myself. 😀