How to write your books first draft.

It’s no secret that writing is fun, exhilarating, and can often leave you pulling your hair out. One of the hardest things any writer can do is getting their first draft written.

When starting out writing, many writers often become overwhelmed with completing their first draft. I know several writers who’ve been working on their first draft for more than 10 years.

I was one of those writers.

When I started out writing books, I would do everything in my power to make sure my first draft was perfect. This desire for perfection kept me from completing my task at hand. Today, I don’t go back and keep editing I simply put my nose to the grindstone and I write the first draft before I do anything else.

I want to show you my proven formula in 5 easy steps to help you write your first draft faster than you ever thought possible.

1. You must write daily.

In June of 2019, I published my book, Vengeance at Purgatory. This book was 10 years in the making. Why? I did not write daily.

I often found myself getting confused, frustrated, or simply not knowing what to write next. This is why I now stick to a rigid outline while allowing myself to creatively tell my story. I do all of my brainstorming in the outline sessions. Once my outline is complete, I know exactly what’s going to happen in each chapter, which allows me to sit down and write.

I encourage writers to set aside time every day to write. Maybe you can only give up one hour or two hours a day. Give yourself uninterrupted time to put your fingers to the keyboard and get your story on the paper.

2. Set your SMARTER goals.

Without setting realistic goals we end up writing our books for 10 years. This is why I have adopted Michael Hyatt’s, SMARTER goal, template.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE TEMPLATE

To set a goal you must make sure it is specific, measurable, achievable, risky, time-bound, exciting, and realistic.

Take a moment and write down a specific goal that you know is going to stretch you and allow you to finish your manuscript within a certain period of time. Give my template a try.

3. Don’t fall into the perfectionist trap.

This is me through and through. I have this innate ability to try and make everything as perfect as humanly possible. The problem with this thinking is that it is impossible to make something completely perfect on your own. This is why I encourage you to stop striving for perfection and start working towards your goal of getting your book written.

It’s easy to allow perfection to become the bane of our writing existence. When you allow yourself the freedom to write without constraints, you are freeing up your mind to be more creative and decisive about each word you write.

4. Set a daily word count goal.

I am on the board of directors for the Minnesota Christian Writers Guild. Every year we bring in local and nationally known authors to give their writing advice and tips. To close out our year we brought in speaker and author, Michelle Griep, who encouraged us to write every day during the summer months.

I immediately latched on to the goal of writing 1,000 words per day during this summer. While I have not written quite every day, I have, however, written nearly 30,000 words since the beginning of June.

The more you write, the more you accomplish, and the more you believe in your ability to finish that first draft.

5. Remember to just write.

Above everything, write. Free your mind and your fingers from the constraints of perfectionism and trying to make every word count. The goal of writing your first draft is to get the words onto paper.

I can’t tell you the joy and elation I feel when I type the words, THE END. Give yourself the freedom to write your story and make your mark on the world. The more you write, the faster you will find yourself completing a full manuscript.

I wrote my book, Vengeance at Purgatory, in a matter of 45 days. It took me 10 years to figure out what I was doing with the story. And that was simply because I did not take the time to write daily.

Write down your goal, set your timer, and plan to write every single day until your manuscript is complete. When you finally type THE END, contact me and tell me your journey and your story.

Now go and write your book’s first draft.