I think this is more true if you are a discovery/“pantser”. If you’re an outliner/plotter your first will need refining of course but it won’t be “garbage”.
I'm almost 100% an outliner, and, while my first draft usually has a pretty solid underlying structure, the draft itself is absolutely garbage the first time through. I don't linger on the best way to word things, getting all the sensory details right, and finding the perfect lines for dialogue. I just pour the words out as fast and as sloppily as I can, so that I can get that draft finished as quickly as possible. I don't worry about making any of it actually presentable until after that initial pouring of words is finished.
For me, the first draft is scaffolding. I build the walls in the second draft, then the roof and the door/windows in the third, and the decor in the fourth.
@@jasondoroughauthor I seriously gloss over scene setting and interiority in draft one and race for the finish line. My second draft is 15-20% longer than my first.
This is so hard to remember though. I've been stuck on chapter 6 of my favourite story for almost a year and I just can't keep going. I can't let myself just write whatever to move to the parts I know. Frustrating...
I totally understand. Have you tried just skipping ahead and writing the scenes out of order so that you can get the ones you know done first? That’s how I drafted the book I’m editing now, and it worked really well for keeping me going!
I finished my first draft and it was only 30 pages lol!! I dont know how to expand it without making it too long. Like how long should my chapters be?? any advice?
There's no set length for scenes, chapters, or books. It can depend a lot on your genre, and it mostly depends on the story you're telling. If you've told a satisfying story with pacing, dialogue, and details you and your readers like within 30 pages, maybe what you were writing was better suited to a shorter form than a novel! But there's a lot of variability to length, so I'd recommend reading through and seeing where the story feels like it's too long or too short and evaluating based on that.
Whenever I get blocked, I give myself permission to write garbage. I find that it helps remove my writers block. However, temporary that may be.
Allowing yourself that permission can really be a game changer!
I think this is more true if you are a discovery/“pantser”. If you’re an outliner/plotter your first will need refining of course but it won’t be “garbage”.
I'm almost 100% an outliner, and, while my first draft usually has a pretty solid underlying structure, the draft itself is absolutely garbage the first time through. I don't linger on the best way to word things, getting all the sensory details right, and finding the perfect lines for dialogue. I just pour the words out as fast and as sloppily as I can, so that I can get that draft finished as quickly as possible. I don't worry about making any of it actually presentable until after that initial pouring of words is finished.
For me, the first draft is scaffolding. I build the walls in the second draft, then the roof and the door/windows in the third, and the decor in the fourth.
I like that metaphor! I’ll have to think about how the way I do it could map to that house building model.
@@jasondoroughauthor I seriously gloss over scene setting and interiority in draft one and race for the finish line. My second draft is 15-20% longer than my first.
This is so hard to remember though. I've been stuck on chapter 6 of my favourite story for almost a year and I just can't keep going. I can't let myself just write whatever to move to the parts I know. Frustrating...
I totally understand. Have you tried just skipping ahead and writing the scenes out of order so that you can get the ones you know done first? That’s how I drafted the book I’m editing now, and it worked really well for keeping me going!
@@jasondoroughauthor i should probably try that 🙂 my brain is infested with OCD goblins.
Let me know if you’re able to get this to work! Good luck!!
@@jasondoroughauthor thank you! I hope i can get this story done :)
I'm not convinced they exist except in the shadows. 🤔
You make a convincing argument!
I finished my first draft and it was only 30 pages lol!! I dont know how to expand it without making it too long. Like how long should my chapters be?? any advice?
There's no set length for scenes, chapters, or books. It can depend a lot on your genre, and it mostly depends on the story you're telling. If you've told a satisfying story with pacing, dialogue, and details you and your readers like within 30 pages, maybe what you were writing was better suited to a shorter form than a novel! But there's a lot of variability to length, so I'd recommend reading through and seeing where the story feels like it's too long or too short and evaluating based on that.