Elizabeth Rose Murray (Caramel Hearts and The Book of Learning) has described how she flies through her first draft at breakneck speed, you can read about it here. So a few writers who have heard about it are also trying to log their #1stdraftdiaries . Try twitter for more information.
So, since I also wanted to join in with Nanowrimo, (National novel writing month – write 50k words in 30 days), I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to also keep a #1stdraftdiary.
Day 1 -2
Unfortunately, I am the queen of procrastination. Aren’t we all though whenever we set our minds to something, particularly when something is a little bit tricky with it.
The book I am trying to write, (I have changed my mind about three times before getting stuck in), was one which I wrote 10,000 words of a few years ago, to enter into a M&B competition. So I had a short but complete novella, but very much in a M&B style. And that seems to be the problem. I’m not really a M&B writer. It’s hard! So I have to rewrite bits of that, whilst keeping the same plot, plus extend and deepen it all.
It’s hardly surprising I kept putting it off. Part of me kept saying, just let it go, throw it out, but then the other part won’t let it go, the characters are there, I love the setting, and I still want it to see the light of day, probably self-publishing it myself sometime.
So, Day 1 – 2, I have plotted the book out. Twice. using very pretty pink post-its. Using two different methods and now, Day 3, I am ready to go again.
I should mention that the first method was by Better Novel Project, for planning your 30 day Nanowrimo novel, but it was better suited to action/adventure YA lit. There are still good points through it, so I haven’t totally thrown it out, but it isn’t a great fit for this piece.
Then I found an article by Laurie Sanders about a course she is running in conjunction with RWA, about plotting a romance novel and it is a great fit.
So last night I did finally start writing. Only about 1,300 words, and that now means I am nearly 2,000 words behind so I need to get BICHOK, as Kate Walker termed it! ‘Bum in chair, hands on keyboard’, for the uninitiated!
Here’s to Day 3!
Susannah Branson 