But forget all that. I want to talk about first drafts. I wrote last month about creating an outline for every project. That's essential. But what then?? Then comes the first draft dash.
What is that, you say? Well, let me tell you. The first draft should be that stage where you just puke everything up on the page as fast as you possibly can. If that means writing on the computer, do that. If it means scribbling in notebooks 'cause you can't type fast like me, do that. Do whatever it takes to get it out and get it out fast! And whatever you do, DON'T LOOK BACK! That is not the direction you are going.
Why not, you ask? Why don't you want to read and reread everything you've done to date every time you sit down to write? Because it's not pretty. You'll find mistakes. You'll find stuff you want to change, stuff that needs to be fixed, and very soon, you'll be bogged down with all that "needs" to be done. So DON'T do that.
Keep your outline handy. It's your road map. It will show you where to go next when you reach the check point. And then run. Run for your life. Why hurry? What's the rush? You must hurry for two reasons.
First, a fresh idea is like a fresh loaf of bread. It's lovely and smells good and you just want to slather it with butter and eat it. An older idea is also like bread - old, stale bread that doesn't look so appetizing. If you can't stay excited about your story, your reader won't either.
And second, inspiration is a flighty thing. If you dawdle, if you say "I'll get around to it later", your fresh ideas will evaporate like rain in the desert. You may or may not get them back. Saving them on paper is the only way to be sure they'll stick around. That's why you always need a notebook and a pen handy.
So are you ready? On your mark, get set....GO!
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