#first drafts
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Hey, Horrormaster Sims. I have a wildly different question that barely relates to TMA (Sorry about that) but its about your own process. Please, if you could, can you tell me how your first drafts made you feel? I'm on the fence about writing my own thing (not a podcast, and again, not Magnus related, though I have a million little aus for that delightful tragedy you wrote, thank you for that!) But I'm discouraged by the collective notion that first drafts are always terrible, because there's no ... examples I can solidly use to help the dumb anxiety beast in my brain that tells me everyone who is in any way popular popped out a golden turd and not, well, you know. One of my friends said 'Oh I bet Jonathan Sims's first draft was nothing like what he wanted' and I got the bright idea to just. Send you an ask, since you're trapped on this hellsite like I am. Anyway, thanks for reading this (if you do) and if you'd rather ask it privately, I am cool with that. Alternatively, you're a hella busy man with Protocol (you and Alex are making me rabid, i hope you know) and you can just ignore this! Cheers, man, and good words.
To my mind all writing advice, especially stuff that's dispensed as truisms (like "first drafts are always garbage") are only useful inasmuch as such advice prompts you to pay attention to how you write best: what helps your workflow, what inspires you, what keeps you going through the rough bits. There are as many different ways to write (and write well) as there are people who write and so always consider this sort of thing a jumping off point to try out or keep in mind as you gradually figure out your own ways of writing.
On first drafts specifically, I think the wisdom "all first drafts are bad" is a bit of unhelpful oversimplification of the fact that, deadlines notwithstanding, no piece of writing goes out until you decide its ready, so don't get too hung up on your first draft of a thing, because a lot of writers find it much easier to edit a complete work than to try and redraft as they go. It's also important to not let perfectionism or the fact your initial draft isn't coming out exactly how you want stop you from actually finishing the thing, as it's always better to have something decent and done than to have something perfect and abandoned.
But the idea of a "first draft" is also kind of a fluid one. The "first draft" you submit to someone who's commissioned you will probably be one you've already done a bunch of tweaks and edits to, as opposed to the "first draft" you pump out in a frenzy in an over-caffeinated weekend. For my part, my first drafts tend to end up a bit more polished than most, because I'm in the habit of reading my sentences out loud as I write them (a habit picked up from years of audio writing) so I'll often write and re-write a particular sentence or paragraph a few times to get the rhythm right before moving to the next one. This means my first drafts tend to take longer, but are a bit less messy. I'm also a big-time planner and pretty good at sticking to the structures I lay out so, again, tend to front load a lot of stuff so I get a better but slower first draft.
At the end of the day, though, the important thing is to get in your head about it in a good way (How do I write best? what helps me make writing I enjoy and value? What keeps me motivated?) and not in a bad way (What if it's not good enough? What if everyone hates it? What if it doesn't make sense?) so that you actually get it done.
As for how my first drafts made me feel? Terrible, every one of 'em No idea if that's reflective of their quality, though, tbh - I hate reading my own writing until I've had a chance to forget it's mine (I can only ever see the flaws). I suppose there's theoretically a none-zero chance they were pure fragments of True Art and creative perfection, but Alex's editing notes make that seem unlikely.
#writing advice#rambling#first drafts#gotta say not mad on being called a horrormaster#feel like ive a ways to go yet#horror journeyman maybe
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The Truth About First Drafts
First drafts are not great quality. Some lines might be fantastic, but overall, it probably won’t be amazing. And that’s totally fine, it’s normal, it’s exactly what you want.
Our silly writer brains expect perfection on the first go for some reason?? Which makes no sense.
They’re meant to be terrible, just thoughts spewing onto paper, really. Just get the dialogue out, get the story into a tangible, clear sequence of events that’s actually a readable story, not just an outline. You can fix it later <3
Think of it as the “zero draft” instead of the first draft. “Garbage draft” works too.
Write it out on paper with pen, or add messy notes to your documents everywhere to really reinforce the idea that there’s no pressure or expectation for perfection.
Don’t look at any of the draft as you write it until you’re done the draft. Looking back at bad writing while working on the same project can be really discouraging, so just don’t look.
Once you finish the draft, wait a couple weeks. Long enough to distance yourself from it, so you can come back to fix it with a clear head.
Don’t compare your first draft to published books. Ever. Those books might be on their tenth, twentieth, thirtieth draft. It’s unfair. Don’t bully yourself or your project.
Set yourself a goal, x words per day, x minutes spent writing, whatever you want. Just make sure it’s achievable. Don’t set yourself up for failure unless you’re asking for discouragement.
You got this <33 Just get that draft down.
When you finish the draft, rewrite the whole thing, using the original draft as a reference if you like. There will almost certainly be countless details you want to change, so rewriting the story will be easier than fixing the original.
#writing#writing tips#writing tips and tricks#first drafts#creative writing#writing side of tumblr#writing community#writeblr
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🦋 curiosity
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How to Find Hope for Completing Your Writing Goals
Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Campfire, a 2023 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is a writing and worldbuilding platform to help you create an immersive experience benefitting both authors and readers. Today, Campfire Community Manager Emory Glass shares some words on having hope when writing feels overwhelming:
It has been 3,265 days since I won NaNoWriMo. I was 16 and wrote 75,000 words. It was exhilarating and cathartic and everything I ever dreamt of.
Tomorrow it will be 3,266 days since I won NaNoWriMo. I look back on my projects thinking, “2,500 words a day is lightspeed. The words flowed so freely then, so quickly.” I want to be a writer–I am a writer. It is my identity, my purpose, my reason, yet I cannot bring myself to finish what I have begun.
The next day it will have been 3,267 days since I won NaNoWriMo. The words do not fly from my fingertips but crawl, sapped of energy, the page a grave for ink stains posing as letters. I talk to my characters often. My writer friends tell me I speak of them as if they were real people, but I cannot seem to lift the weight of their stories from my mind. Still, I have no platform, no audience, no one eagerly watching for the next installment.
The day after it will have been 3,268 days since I won NaNoWriMo. Two publications, no published novels, hundreds of thousands of words gathering dust. I am no writer, I am a collector of words. There must be something wrong with me. I have so much to tell, so much to share, so much to create, but here I am not telling, not sharing, not creating.
One day it will have been 3,269 days since I won NaNoWriMo. I will not have published a book, I will not have a new story, I will not have an audience or a platform or one–just one–person looking forward to what happens next.
But I will not give up.
"...and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
It's rather typical for a dark fantasy writer to peer into the void, but it quickly becomes an intoxication and an excuse to never move a muscle. Do not succumb. Push forward, even if you barely move an inch. If you wish to be a builder, you build. If you wish to be a fighter, you fight. If you wish to be a writer, you write.
Brute force seems barbaric. Should words not spill onto the page? It is said that art cannot be coerced or bent to one's own will; it comes easily, naturally, swiftly. The very best art is created in a creative frenzy, so they say, and the very best artists are recognized in memoriam.
But if you delay and evade and wither your ambition as you count the days since your last success, your oeuvre halts and is buried and perishes by your own hand. So if you, like me, too often find yourself peering into the void where the words have gone to fade away, cleave to the remedy for its gaze: hope. This is the heart of creation. Laudation and lucrativeness are but two measures of success. They will not themselves burst a dam of words within you and imbue every project with Midas' touch. Creative fever is not catching–you must seek it out.
Give yourself a reason to write even when you do not want to or it feels too Herculean a task. If you seek new horizons, a useful tool, or a supportive community to accompany you on this odyssey, enlist Campfire to help. Whether it behooves you to squeeze out words on your mobile device, stay focused offline with a desktop application, or keep inspiration at hand via browser-based work and Discord chats, it's the best place to bring your stories to life.
NaNoWriMo participants can save on Campfire’s writing software! Use the discount code LETSGONANO23 for 30% off your first year of an annual subscription to our Standard Plan. It’s free to create an account. Offer expires March 31, 2024.
Emory Glass is an avid artist, worldbuilder, and author with a passion for strong female characters in leading roles and meticulous attention to detail in lore. She loves tea, learning Scottish Gaelic, continuing her work on The Chroma Books, a series of interconnected stories, and running Inkblood Book Company for similarly enthusiastic dark fantasy writers. When not chasing down stories, Emory works as the Community Manager at Campfire.
Top photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash.
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Editing a first draft like
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separation => transformation
#eresh#foolish darling eresh with your head in the clouds how will you see where you step?#first drafts
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The first draft is for the writer. The second draft is for the editor. The last draft is for the reader.
– Scott Moyers
#fiction#fiction writing#writing tips#writing advice#first drafts#scott moyers#quotes#kcawf original#writeblr
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i love writing first drafts because it can be the shittiest writing you've ever seen and it's okay because its the first draft!!! It doesn't have to be good!!! first drafts are for mediocre writing!!!
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Writing A Story Part 2: So... What To Do With A First Draft?
Well, What Is The Importance Of A First Draft?
Hey Zeeba!
Oh, a first draft is really important! You can't just go out there and write anything and then post it.
...Well, you can, but like, it would be way better quality if you did write a first draft first.
I'm not telling anyone to write in a specific way, this is just my experience and research! I hope it helps you.
* * *
You start your writing process:
Like they say, starting is the most essential yet challenging aspect of any project – including writing.
I want you to dive in without nay research. Writing down everything that comes to your mind creates a pattern you can follow as you proceed.
The ideas you type will lack quality in punctuation, grammar or presentation. However, when you actually write them down, you can say that your writing process has begun.
2. It lets your creativity do it's job.
When you know your writing is allowed to look its worst as a rough draft, you become willing to give your creativity free rein.
You become free to explore characters and writing styles because you understand that the planned book or content can take a different turn in the course of the writing refinement.
As a writer with a rough draft, it is okay to make mistakes. You should make mistakes, actually. It feels fantastic when you go back and fix them the next day or hour.
3. You can feel and touch your ideas.
With a rough draft in your hands, you have a better understanding of your ideas: what to add or remove, how to proceed, if you should follow the structured outline or create a new one.
The story may even change totally because you are now more aware of better ways to present your idea.
Creating drafts will help you visualize your book, article or fanfic, and understand how much more work you still need to do.
You can also have a beta [if you write fanfics] or an editor for your story! Someone with a fresh point of view. If you want, I'll even be ready to beta-read something for you! It's fun.
_____________________________________________________________
Okay fine, A First Draft Is Important, But... How Can I Exactly Write A First Draft?
Ok, here is a checklist of everything that I do in a first draft!
Obviously, things are gonna be a little different for you guys, but I think my methods would be a good starting point for you.
I've learned these things from experience, and I know that you might be like,
'Why does writing a first draft need to be this complicated?' but the act of writing itself is incredibly hard for a lot of writers out there. And I wish to help you with that!
1- Listen To Music:
I usually do this a day before writing, or a few hours before it.
Music inspires me a lot, and it is a big part of my life and my writing process.
Scenes flow to my head easily, and my mind feels free to explore different scenarios and options with the sound of the beats in my head.
Whenever I write fanfics, I walk and listen to music for a few hours before doing so. It helps my brain think: I'm not sure if this is scientifically proven, but it helps me a lot!
2- Write Everything Down On Paper:
I type my fics and stories on a computer, but I always enjoy writing an outline or rough ideas or literally anything that comes to my mind on a scrap of paper.
I might doodle, and I might write some sentences. It eventually helps me in the long run, but I totally get it if that's not your thing!
3- Get Infront Of The Computer:
I sit in front of my laptop, munch on an apple and think about what I'm gonna write.
Imagine scenes, characters, anything. Just it Infront of the laptop and stare at the empty google document to get myself emotionally ready.
4- Write Sentences, Not Paragraphs:
Write the beginning of sentences, not the actual paragraph. Like, Write something like this:
He stared out of the window.
The sky was bright.
He bit his lip.
5- Add To The Sentences:
Then, add to the sentences in a way that doesn't make you stressed out. Make it a simple rough draft, baby!
He stared out of the window. His face was ashen with fear, and he knew what was about to come.
The sky was bright. He knew it would be unbelievable to anyone he said this to, but it wouldn't be so clear and bright after tonight.
He bit his lip. He wished he could will the fear away, but it was not possible.
6- Write Anything That Comes To Your Mind:
The right order? Who the fuck cares.
Write anything that comes to your mind, anything. Just write the whole thing in under an hour and get away from your computer.
7- Go back the next day and finish everything up. Don't be ashamed of anything you've written, they were meant to be terrible pieces of writing! Your finished draft is much better
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What Are Some Dos And Don'ts Of Writing A First Draft?
Again, my opinions and experiences, and other people's experiences pulled into this Article! I hope this works for you:
DO:
Just Write.
Many writers make the mistake of revising their work as they go—fine-tuning each sentence and reorganizing thoughts at every step.
Leave in typos and misspellings. Allow yourself to ramble and write nonsense. Go on tangents. You may be surprised with where they take you.
Keep an Open Mind.
Remember that often the end result of an author’s work hardly resembles their original intentions at all.
While your first ideas for your book may be wonderful, try not to get overly attached to that initial vision.
I write a bunch of things that don't even make it to my AO3 account to get published, they just get used in another story. It's okay! It's great actually.
Explore your options.
Think of revision exactly how it sounds, as re-vision—envisioning again. Reflect on your original goals for the book.
Then, take a close look at the pieces you have and discover how they can be manipulated; to either reinforce or improve that original vision.
Consider what new directions you might take.
Trust your instincts.
Write as many drafts as it takes for you to feel your book is complete. Generally speaking, the more revisions you go through, the more organized your ideas will become and the clearer your message will be.
However: Just because revision is important doesn't mean you’ll have to revise everything. Trust your writing and your voice, but be honest with yourself about what’s not working and what could be made better.
Be thorough.
This is the time to delve into the technical details. Comb your writing with comma splices, track down typos, and break out your dictionary.
.***.
DON'T:
Don't Worry About People:
What would my friends think if I tell them I’m a writer and then show them…this piece of garbage? What would my mother say? What would Mrs. Mcwhatever who I have never spoken to think when she sees this?
The good news is, I don’t need to worry about any of that.
You don't have to show your first draft to anyone, babe.
When I write my first draft, it can be as secret as I want it to be. And I never let anyone read a draft as I’m writing it. When it comes to novels, that sometimes means that no one can even look at it for about a year until it’s finished.
You're the one in charge. Don't worry about what people think.
Don't Write the First Draft for others
This may sound selfish at first, but the reason I first start writing a draft is because I came across an idea that I wanted to explore for myself, and only for myself.
Yeah, I see a prompt online and get excited, but that's because I wanna see where I take this story idea.
It’s not so much the destination as it is the journey that excites me.
Of course, once the draft has passed from the first draft stage to the revision stage, it’s important [if you want] to think about ideas that others have given you or to look at the story from an angle that you would never have thought of before.
As an example, doing multiple revisions can become a slog if the main character only knows what you know.
It’s fun to do research, and start incorporating different things into your story. But for the first draft, this is all you really need to worry about: Does this story excite me, the one whose writing it?
Don’t Think About It Too Much
Those who swear by writing with an outline will tell you that you can’t start even a rough draft without some sort of guideline.
And those who prefer to fly by the seat of their pants will say that outlines are a nuisance to society. I recommend finding someplace in between. I’ve had draft that went well without any sort of outline and drafts that were never finished when I had a step-by-step guide, and vice versa. It all depends on the story and on you.
But you don't have to think about that right now, when your writing the first draft, Zeeba.
You Don't Have To Know Where You're Going.
Hey! I hope that you enjoyed reading this, and that it helped you with your writing!
I'm still learning a lot of things, what with being a new fanfic writer and all, and this is going to be a big archive of the tips, the tricks and the hacks that helped me through my writing journey!
Again, let's all write with Gore <3
#fanfic writing things#fanfiction#how to write#how to write a novel#writing advice#writing problems#writing is hard#writing stuff#writing tips#writing help#first drafts
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I'm writing what has turned into an epic Johnlock fic for @keirgreeneyes's birthday, and for a while, the plot did not feel right. I wrote the last few chapters quickly, just going with my usual "make shit up on the spot" technique, which means it wasn't very good.
For some reason, I let the fact that my hurriedly jotted down fanfic wasn't that great worry me for a long time, but then, when I got to the point where I was editing those chapters and getting them ready to publish, I found that having that inconsistent, crappy framework there was really helpful when I filled it out, corrected mistakes, and basically turned that shabby, mishmash plot line into something I think is cool!
Writing atrocious nonsense, just to get a plot idea down on paper is so valid. I have to remember that, because I have a tendency to beat myself up over my DRAFTS. They're my gotdamn drafts for christ's sake. They are FIRST DRAFTS no less! I have to chill out about judging writing that no one but me will ever see.
More than being something I shouldn't be ashamed of, I found that those junky first drafts came in so handy as a framework to build the real story on! I can't think of some brilliant analogy for this, but lets just say, your not-great first drafts can be very useful, so don't feel bad about them. <3
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Classic writer's defence.
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perdix || sky knight
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Tips for New Writers
Write, Write, Write
◇ I think it goes without saying that if you want to become a better writer, you have to write
◇ You don't need to write every single day (though getting into a habit or routine is not a bad thing), but keep it somewhat consistent
◇ Practice is one of the best things a writer can take part in
◇ Even if you don't start or finish a full story, simply writing down an idea that came to your head certainly counts!
◇ Writing has loose rules; make it your own.
Drafts
◇ One of the most important things to keep in mind as a writer is that the first draft is not going to be perfect. Hence why it's called "the First Draft."
◇ The contents of your first draft may consist of things like:
How you want the story to look
Ideas you have for the story
The general order of events
Character development
◇ You may think it's great when you're finished! Congratulations, you finished your first draft! (Seriously, that's a huge accomplishment on its own).
◇ However, when you read the story back in full, you may realize that you need to make adjustments. You may recognize:
Plotholes
Grammar mistakes
Lack of character development
Cringe scenes that need more work
And so much more
◇ You will likely... no, you will need to complete multiple drafts by the end of your journey.
Post Dividers Credit: @saradika
#tips for new writers#writing tips#first drafts#write write write#young writers#writers on tumblr#creative writers#creative writing shit
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On my bad writing days, I have to address my imposter syndrome.
These days, I don't have writer's block. Instead, I know exactly what I want to write, but however I put it, I end up hating it. I can write a sentence, paragraph, page, or a whole sequence, and it ends up unseen in a drafts folder because it isn't good enough. During this process, I have thoughts about how I could do and have done better. I'm reminded of how well others' work is done while mine could be thrown in a bonfire and not be missed sometimes.
When I have these insecure and hurtful thoughts I remind myself that of the work I read, there are most likely just as many trashed drafts as I have for my own work. I tell myself how it's okay to want to write, yet not have the result be as great as other writing sessions have been. I am far from a perfect writer, and I often rewrite things to make them better and more enjoyable because I want my readers to like my work (and I'm a perfectionist), but my mistakes don't define me or my work.
Days like today, where I wrote and scrapped three pages of not terrible, but boring and toneless writing, do not mean that my stories don't deserve to be read. Write cringy, bland, detailless drafts and improve them on another day when words come easier or you're feeling more creative. Don't let these bad writing days crush your love of writing, and check your insecurities and perfectionism before telling yourself that you can't do this. Be patient and kind to yourself. You can do this!
#writing#writing community#writerslife#writing motivation#writing positivity#writers block#first drafts#bad writing days#writeblr
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🐌 (slowness/waiting) for any OC you think it fits :>
something something ariadne abandoned on naxos something
screenshot meme 3
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Hmm... for the WIP ask game either your current NaNo project, Stay, or Afterthoughts (or all 3 of them if you want lol). Your choice! <3
Sure, we can do all three.
Choices and Regrets is a 911/Buddie version/fusion of the novel Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (which is one of my all time favorite books and Apple is making into a TV series). I’m doing this fic for November’s Rough Trade using the second chances part of the prompt as well as a NaNoWriMo because I have the feeling the ending word count is going to be north of 70k. I weirdly have a bunch of November off because I’m switching jobs so I HOPE to have most of the fic written/out by the end of the month. We’ll see how i’m doing. It’s the 8th and I’m at 14K written out of a goal of 50k.
The basic premise is do you like the choices you made in your life or do you have regrets? I’m setting this in 9-1-1 post lightning strike in season 6 and ignoring almost anything canon after that point (no Natalia or Marisol). We start the fic with Buck being invited to go out for celebratory drinks with Connor as he managed to get his wife pregnant without Buck’s donation. Buck is maudlin about how he hasn’t found someone to settle down with and have kids with. He’s pining over Eddie but doesn’t want to upset the apple cart. Eddie talks him into going to have a drink and to close that chapter of his life then come back for a late dinner at Casa Diaz.
Buck is then kidnapped by a stranger who doesn’t tell him want they want from him. When he wakes, he’s in a different, parallel universe where the him in that universe made much different choices. Nobody he considers found family knows him. Meanwhile, the parallel universe’s Buck is taking his place and makes a move on Eddie who has also been silently pining over Buck (they’re two halves of the same idiot).
What will Buck do to get back home and to his Eddie? Will Eddie be happy with the alternate Buck or does he figure out that something’s not right?
The novel this is based on is a thriller but I’d also say it has a romance side to it. What would you do to get back to the one you love?
I am planning on putting Buck and Eddie through the wringer. All the angst and then some smex.
To read what I’ve currently got yeeted, read chapter one and two here on rough trade
And for a little spoiler, this is a line i’m wanting to use in this fic that i came up with a few months ago and has been sitting abandoned in my tidbits folder:
“You told me once to not go chasing waterfalls and I didn’t know what you meant at all. And i did. I chased the damn waterfalls big time and I’m in trouble and I think I need your help. That you’re the only one who can help.”
Stay is another one of those tidbit folders. It’s got… not much in it. Just a bit that i thought of randomly. It doesn’t belong to any fic at the moment. Could become a full fledged one-shot character study, could end up co-opted into something bigger. This is all in the head/POV of Eddie Diaz from 9-1-1. First draft.
Stay. Please stay with me.
Eddie’s used to being left behind by people who are supposed to stick with him. The army? He’d managed to pull his entire team out of a burning helicopter, taken three bullets and they’d forced him out, telling him thanks for his service but he can’t stay with them.
Nowhere to go but home, right?
Texas wasn’t home anymore. Home shouldn’t itch under your skin like a three day old bruise. Adjusting to civilian life after being dumped by the army… he hadn’t handled it well. Eddie could say that not that he had distance and time to reflect on that period of time.
No wonder Shannon hadn’t stayed—he’d been a mess.
Still was, actually. He’s just better at hiding it.
Afterthoughts is a series of codas I’ve been doing while re-watching 9-1-1 during hiatus. I’ve been doing a bad job of keeping up with it and most of this is angsty as hell.
Testifying in court is actually pretty rare for firefighters and if anything, Bobby usually is the one who gets put on the witness stand as captain.
Not this time though.
This time, Buck was the one who got the gun pointed at him and he’s being called to testify because even Chim didn’t hear quite everything Lola said to him.
He told the DA that he wasn’t going to be very helpful. The news camera footage should be enough to plead her out but evidently Lola’s traffic disturbance had upset some important people and they didn’t want it to become a regular occurrence so they wanted jail time.
Jail time for rescuing your marriage? The romantic in Buck actually thought it was kinda sweet—even if he hadn’t enjoyed having a gun pointed at his chest.
So Buck was being called.
As a hostile witness.
Why were they actually going to trial about this again?
Lola had been charged with a PC 647c, aka Obstructing Movement to a Public Place—also known as the freeway. It was a misdemeanor but carried up to 180 days. The DA wanted those 180 days. Was practically salivating over them for some reason. So they were calling Buck and Athena to testify.
If anyone wants to read the posted codas, I’ve broken them into fics by season. Read the completed season one here on AO3 or the partially posted season 2 here.
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