Do you draft before you draft? Discussion
Hi all!!
I'm getting into writing a new novel idea and wanted to see where everyone stands with drafting. For my first book I wrote almost entirely by the seat of my pants but it took 4 years before I finishes that book and that doesn't even including the editing stages.
I'm thinking of trying trying draft a bit more this time around to save my brain from falling into circles trying to chase my plot. I feel like there's a line with having too much detail for your 1st draft and absolutely too little detail.
How much do you draft before your first draft, or do you skip it entirely? Just getting a feel for how others do their processes!
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u/floppy_soup_sauce 1d ago
Hello! I recently finished writing my first book (a poetry book), and while it’s a bit different from a novel, I found that having a clear outline made a huge difference and consistently relieved my stress. I mapped out each section of my book with a simple structure:
Part/Chapter X:
This approach kept me focused on what I wanted to convey and how each section connected to the overall flow. It helped me avoid getting stuck or feeling lost because I always had a roadmap to follow. The best part was that it freed me up to be more creative with the actual writing since I wasn’t constantly trying to figure out where things were headed. It doesn’t have to be super detailed—just enough to give you a guide to chase your plot instead of chasing your brain in circles. Best of luck with your new book! 😊