It’s almost the end of May which means summer is just around the corner. What are your plans? I’m hoping for lots of pool and beach time plus some excursions to favorite local places that have reopened. And definitely a trip or ten to the library.
As I have just finished the draft for book 4 in the Wish Library series I thought this month I’d share some tips that you can share with kids, or use yourself, on getting drafts finished.
It’s no secret that I (and many writers) find the first draft hard. But the only way of getting to my favorite part (revision) is to get that draft completed.
Write an outline Drafting books got a whole lot easier when I realized the importance of an outline. Besides, I have to submit one to my editor before I start the draft so we can make sure I’m on the right track. I write key plot elements, and often some dialog snippets, for each chapter to steer me through the next stage of the process.
Just write In the draft I just finished I didn’t have a new character’s name decided until about half way through but I didn’t wait to figure it out before writing. I put XX in place of the name and when I had it, it was easy to do a find and replace to fix it. I will also add comments to myself for things I need to remember to add later or check.
Set a timer If it’s hard to just get started tell yourself you’ll just write for 10 minutes. Set a timer and when it goes off you have permission to stop. But by then you’ll probably have found your flow and will keep going. Otherwise, try again later. I use this strategy for workouts too!
(Don’t) Edit as you go The often-quoted advice is to not edit as you go. However, I often do find myself re-reading over what I’ve already written and editing before moving on to the next chapter. There is no right or wrong way here so long as you are making forward movement on your draft.
Murky middle I always get stuck in the middle. Even with my outline in hand. But I keep writing until I find the way out. Sometimes re-reading what I’ve already written helps (see number 4) and sometimes writing the end and coming back to the middle is the key. Just keep writing.
Side writing If you’re stuck, try writing something else adjacent to your story such as an interview with your character or a journal entry. Check out this blog post from Kid Lit Craft for more ideas.
Reward yourself! Before writing, plan a reward for when you’re done. Whatever will motivate you (a favorite show, a cupcake, a new book).
I hope these tips helped, let me know by replying to this email!
News Roundup
Here’s some recent news and links you might have missed…
I’m helping my friend and fellow author Vicky Fang launch her next book!
I was interviewed on a couple of fabulous blogs
And I visited six schools virtually this month! See my Author Visits and Events section for 2021/22 visits.
Thank you for reading and I’ll be back next month with the preorder campaign for Together Forever, coming October 1!