By Rachel Scott McDaniel, @rachelsmcdaniel
As a creative, I am most comfortable (and satisfied!) when what I create actually looks nice. Makes sense, right? But this can’t always be the case—especially when writing a first draft of a novel. It wouldn’t be called a ‘rough’ draft unless the draft is … well … rough. For the longest time, I struggled with this reality. I wanted the words I logged to be pretty, for the manuscript to appear clean. And by doing that, I made several key mistakes. Here’s what I did.
Wasted a lot of time. It’s been said that writing the first draft can be likened to tossing all the sand in the sandbox and then going back and building the castle. See, I wanted to build the castle as I went. Meaning after I wrote a scene, I spent lots of time editing it, perfecting the dialog, refining the descriptions. But guess what? After I finished the jotting down the entire story, I had to go back and trim scenes that didn’t fit. I spent all that time editing portions which ended up on the cutting floor. Total time waster.
Another mistake I’ve made was allowing myself to get sidetracked. In writing historical romance, it’s way too easy to get caught up in research. For example, were metal folding chairs around in 1924? They weren’t, but that’s a simple fact I could’ve saved for later. The best mode of operation would be to insert a little note—I color the font red so it sticks out—and then I return to it when I’m in editing mode. Because all that fact-checking was pulling me away from getting the story down.
What should we do? This is what a group of us authors like to call “vomit” writing. I know it sounds awful, but the point of it is just to spew those words onto the page and clean up the mess later. This has helped me through some very tough spots in my rough draft. Because during this stage of the process, I’m getting the story down in order to have something to work with later.
Here are a few tips to help you finish that rough draft.
- Utilize story sprints. Set a timer for fifteen minutes and just write. See how many words you can log without stopping. When that round is over, reset the timer and do it again. This is also a great opportunity to include other writer friends because it encourages accountability. You’ll be amazed at how many words you can get in and how far your story progresses by doing these little writing jaunts.
- Turn off the internal editor. I’ve said this before, but it’s so important to repeat. Don’t fuss over sentence structure, word choice, etc. Just write.
- Use dictation. I have several author friends who go for walks or do house chores while dictating their stories.
- Get moving. I get restless when I have to sit in my writing chair for long periods of time. This led to my hubby making me a treadmill desk so I can write while moving. I discovered that moving about really helps stir creativity.
- Think. Because life sometimes gets in the way, it’s not always convenient to write every day. So the times when you’re away from the laptop, I encourage you to think about your book. Daydream that next scene. Visualize where you want your manuscript to go. So even if your fingers aren’t touching the keyboard, your mind is touching the story.
The most important thing is getting that story finished. To conquer that blinking cursor and fill those blank pages with words. You got this!
Two women, a century apart, are bound by a haunting secret aboard a legendary steamboat.
Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.
As wedding coordinator for the 100-year-old steamboat The Belle of Louisville, Devyn Asbury takes pride in seeing others’ dreams come true, even though her engagement had sunk like a diamond ring to the bottom of the Ohio River. When the Belle becomes a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue contest, Devyn endeavors to secure the prestigious title with hopes to reclaim some of her professional dreams. What she hadn’t planned on was Chase Jones showing up with a mysterious photo from the 1920s.
A century earlier, Hattie Louis is as untamable as the rivers that raised her. As the adopted daughter of a steamboat captain, her duties range from the entertainment to cook. When strange incidents occur aboard the boat, Hattie’s determined to discover the truth. Even if that means getting under First Mate Jack Marshall’s handsome skin.
Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. Rachel can be found online at www.RachelScottMcDaniel.com and on all social media platforms. Her work is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency. Rachel resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. She enjoys life in Ohio with her husband and two kids.