As I mentioned in my previous post, the first draft of Run is going well so far.

But,  you may be wondering… WHY is it taking me so long to get the first draft of the book done? I got the idea back in July of last year, right?

Well, aside from  working around a toddler, taking some time off for a family trip and to pack up and move into a new house–you know, life stuff–the other reason it’s taking so long comes down to the first draft process for this project.

Let’s talk about the different ways you can write a first draft.

The NaNoWriMo Approach to First Drafts-AKA Quick and Dirty

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The basic premise is that you write 50,000 words in 30 days. At the end of the month you have a short, super rough, first draft.  It’s a process that values word quantity over quality because you don’t stop to edit your words at all. You just keep writing words upon words upping your tally to reach your word-count goal.

I love this style of first draft writing because it takes over-thinking off the table. You don’t take the time to ponder and choose the best words possible or if there is a better way to phrase something. You just write. It’s also, generally, and as you would expect, pretty terrible writing. I mean, bits and pieces may be great. Maybe you come up with  some amazing lines or find yourself with some intriguing  characters or interesting scenes, but without stopping to edit your words at all, it’s going to be a very rough first draft.

Generally, you also don’t share your work with anyone–actually, that’s one of the reasons you’re able to freely write such a crappy draft. There’s nothing to lose! It’s liberating and, more often than not, you’re going to surprise yourself. Regardless, at the end of the first draft, you’re going to have something to work with. If you really enjoy editing, this process may be the way to go. Once you have your rough, rough first draft, it’s all editing from there on out. You’ll need to spend a lot of time going through the rubble to dig out what the story is really about. That’s when you start revising and sifting and sorting until you have a much more clear second draft–another stepping stone closer to what your story will look like when it’s finally complete.

The Perfectionist Approach to First Drafts–AKA The Never-Ending Process

The exact opposite way to write your first draft is to write your very best draft possible. This means being extra deliberate with your words, choosing the very best possible words and phrasing along the way. You make sure your first line, first paragraph, first chapter and so forth are exactly the way they need to be before moving forward.

In my experience, this way of writing a first draft is excruciating. It’s a very critical way to write. You’re constantly analyzing your work. Your inner editor/inner critic is wide out in the open, working alongside you and that’s not an easy way to write.  When you’re trying to choose the best words, trying to get any words down is going to be difficult. And, I hate to break it to you, but there is no perfect way to write a book.

No, wait, I take that back. This isn’t bad news, it’s fabulous news. And worth repeating.

There is no perfect way to write a book

No matter how long you spend trying to get your words to to come out in the exact right way, you’re always going to find a better version if you look at it again. If you get your first chapter juuuuuuust right, odds are that once you have more written, you’re going to want to go back and change that first chapter. Usually, you won’t know how it will all unfold until you get the whole manuscript written, anyway. That means that words will have to change. You will need to rewrite. To edit. To revise and rework. You will need more than one draft.

So, getting that first draft “perfect” as you go….sure, it’s do-able, but it’s going to be challenge. With your inner-critic/editor on your shoulder, you’re not going to feel free to make mistakes. So you’re going to have a harder time getting words on the page and moving forward will be a struggle.

The good thing about writing this way is that if/when the draft is complete. It’s going to be pretty polished and a lot farther along than just a rough first draft. You’re going to be several steps up from digging in the rubble, with a strong, solid piece to move forward with–but it probably took a long time to get there.

The Middle of the Road Approach to First Drafts–AKA My Current Method

Or, you can do a combination of the two approaches. Meaning that you edit as you go, but you don’t get too hung up on using the right words.

This is what I’m doing with my current project, Run. I’m writing it chapter by chapter. Taking a little time on each chapter until I’m happy with it. I’m editing as I go, but am keeping in mind that this is just the first draft. That things will change and that’s okay. I’m not too attached to my word choice or worrying about it being perfect. Once I’m fairly satisfied , I move forward. I’m spending about a week on each chapter, never going back to edit previous chapters.  When I  come across things that need changing, I make a note to look at it later. In the end, I want a first draft to work with, but something a little more solid than a very rough first draft that I would need serious digging through.

I also did a lot of planning before starting this project. I have a lot of notes to work with, and an outline. Some scenes are all worked out. But I’m also going with the flow if something comes up. I’m not attached to the “plan” too much. I’ve found this to be pretty freeing and am having fun piecing the story together this way and learning my characters and their story more and more as I write out the draft.

So, yes, it’s taking me a little while to work out this first draft, but (I hope!) it will be well worth the wait.

(There may or may-not be a zombie stuck in a farmhouse in this story. We’ll just have to wait and see!)

A Note about the Planner/Panster approach to NaNoWriMo:

I realize that not everyone “pants it” during NaNoWriMo (pantser: someone who writes “by the seat of their pants”). I’m sure many go into it as a “planner”,  with detailed outlines and notes upon notes to work from. Maybe even having scenes planned out, chapter by chapter. But, in the end, you’re still going to be writing new words because that’s what NaNo’s all about–you’re winging it, to some degree and don’t stop to edit along the way. So, it’s still probably going to be a pretty rough first draft.

Interested in more on NaNoWriMo? You can visit their page here.

Writers: What’s your first draft process–how much (if any) editing do you do along the way?