That way lies distraction-an endless click-trance that will turn your 20 minutes of composing into a half-day's idyll through the web. You can also write “TK” as a placeholder for a scene you want to write in more detail later.Īfter your document is written, a quick search of “TK” will show you all of the places in your first draft you need to check facts or where you need to write in more detail.ĭon't give in and look up the length of the Brooklyn Bridge, the population of Rhode Island, or the distance to the Sun. If you aren't sure of a fact while you are writing, instead of searching for what to call a group of kittens, write “TK” in your manuscript and keep writing. Don’t do anything else except go to the bathroom, and only do that if it absolutely cannot be put off. Stephen King suggests that you never look at a reference book while you are writing, as it breaks the writer's train of thought. Do not look at any reference books while you are writing.
If it's good, if it has all the earmarks of a winning idea, then it should give you everything you need to guide you in writing the screenplay. The logline is your story's code, its DNA, the one constant that has to be true. And having feedback from friends will save you from writing a story that is as interesting as a soggy piece of toast. Having a clear idea of what you want to write will help you stay focused while you write your first draft. Do their eyes glaze over as you describe how your cat saved the neighborhood from the rabid dog? Write a logline for your book before you write the book.īefore you start writing your book, write the main idea of your story in a few sentences and share it with friends. It makes it an incredibly strong, compelling structure upon which you can build complex characters, or subplots, twists, or beautiful writing. Having a solid arc from the beginning to end of your book doesn’t dumb it down or make it formulaic. He understands what conventions the thriller has, and he makes sure he has all of them in his book. Matthew Quirk, the New York Times bestselling author of The 500, figures out his story before he starts writing. Just remember, the ONLY thing you absolutely must do in order to finish your first draft is. These techniques can help make writing your first draft easier. Yes, I can! I am learning how to write first drafts right along with you.
That part is obvious, but how do I actually write the first draft? Can you help me? you ask. Yes, I know I have to sit down and write. Some writers plot the entire story before they start to write, while other writers start writing and let the muse write the story.īut, no matter how writers approach telling their story, they all have one thing in common. With that many results, you can probably guess that there are lots of different techniques to write a first draft. Writers approach how they write their first draft in a variety of ways. Now there will be eighty-eight million, four hundred thousand and one. Just now, I searched on Google, “How to write a first draft.” There were eighty-eight million, four hundred thousand results in 0.58 seconds. When I want to learn something I go online and search. And they will stay inside of me until I can figure how to write a first draft. The second item on my list is-clean the seven litter boxes. Learning how to write a first draft is on the top of my list of things to do. No, I didn't mean, “Did you eat a book?” I meant, “Is there a book you have always wanted to write?”