WRITING & FINISHING A NOVEL #6

This tip is obvious but vitally important to completing your novel. 

WRITE STRAIGHT THROUGH YOUR FIRST DRAFT

I offer my first attempt as a case study. When I began trying to write a novel, I started without a solid outline and simply “pantsed” my way along. And it wasn’t pretty. If I got stuck, or worse, bored, I would simply jump to another section of the story and keep writing. I do understand writer's block and have some tips here and here, but this is not the solution for completing a novel. If you skip enough sections, you’ll end up with a Swiss cheese novel.

So what is the psychology behind wanting to skip around? There are probably many reasons, but here are the most common.

1. We skip because we are stuck. We write ourselves into a corner. I hate this feeling. I would rather spend the extra time experimenting in the outline phase getting the story right. If this is where you are stuck, I would encourage you to step back and figure it out. You will have to do it eventually.

2. We skip because we are excited! Sometimes a terrific scene will just pop into our minds, and we feel the siren call to write it down. It’s deliciously easy, but don’t do it. If the scene is good, it’ll keep. Make notes if you must, but keep on writing where you are. Don’t do anything that will change you trajectory or momentum.

3. We skip because we are bored. The converse of reason two, we've lost interest in the scene we are currently writing, and any other place in the story would be more enjoyable. This is typical human nature, but we must not let it stop us. In this stage of the game, it is better to write a mediocre scene that you can clean up later than leave a blank space for a terrific scene later.  Inevitably, the blanks will stack up and you will have compounded a problem to the point of despair (and the abandonment of your precious story).

So what are some benefits of writing straight through your manuscript?

1. When you are done, you will have a complete story, not just a series of vignettes firmly planted in thin air.

2. Your story will have a tight internal structure building into a crescendo, written the way it will be read.

3. You will have faced your obstacles, surmounted them, and have a complete, coherent first draft.

This process may not be thrilling or mysterious, but you will thank yourself when you type that final period. 

Click here to see Tip Number One.
Click here to see Tip Number Two.
Click here to see Tip Number Three.
Click here to see Tip Number Four.
Click here to see Tip Number Five.

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