Writing Novels

Lesson 2: Writing Your First Draft

Writing Quantity and Quality

For the purpose of your goal to write a novel in thirty days, the quantity of your daily achievement is equal, if not more important, to its quality. Your motto is "keep writing at all costs." Push yourself to meet your daily word quota even if you don't know where your story is going.

There are many things to explore while writing a story. How did your characters meet? What are their relationships to one another. If you were telling someone about each of them, how would you describe them? What happened in their lives before they arrived where (in time) they are now. What do they want most in life? The more you know behind the scenes, the better your scenes will be.

What about your settings? Why did you choose them? Use all your senses to describe the surroundings. How do the settings affect the moods and actions of the characters? Do the settings mirror or contrast the moods of the characters?

Why are you writing this story? Is there a lesson you are consciously, or subconsciously, trying to get across? What are the characters' learning about life? What do they want? What are they trying to achieve? What are they trying to overcome? What would happen to your characters if they didn't get what they want? (This is important.)

  1  2  3  4  5  6  7