Writing the first draft is the fun part of writing. You get to cut loose and let your characters run all over the stage. They can be crazy. And it's okay because anything you write now can be changed later. That's the important part. Don't lose sight of that. Getting the story out of your head can be hard enough as it is. Don't force it, let it run out of the bottle like syrup. Once you have a flow, keep it going as long as you can. Before you get interrupted, that is.
Yes, life has its little obstacles that tend to get in the way. Work around them when you can and push through them the rest of the time. You have to set time aside for yourself if you want to write. No excuses. Get up an hour earlier and go to bed an hour later if you must.
Don't get perfect in the first round. Make your mistakes and keep going. Just get the story down. You can focus on edits during the editing process. So if you don't know how to spell a word, make it as close as you can and keep writing. Most of the time, MS Word (or whatever program you're using) will autocorrect. Don't depend on it though because if the word is spelled correctly, it'll leave it alone--doesn't matter if you used "as" instead of "is". Check those words during the editing process.
Other words to watch out for: But in editing mode
Than or That
Son or Sun
It's or Its
Form or From
If, In, It, Is, As, An etc
Where or Wear, or Ware
Other words with different spellings like Too, To, or Two
Repetition
As you write, don't compare yourself with other writers. They work at their own speed. So write at your speed. It isn't a contest to see who writes the fastest. I typically write 4 or 5 books a year, some years more than that. I know an author who writes a book every month and has it published each month. That's too fast for me, but I won't even push myself to try. And it's okay. I don't have to write any faster than I already do.
Take breaks. Those are important. You don't have to write every day to be a writer. You're already that. Breaks are essential to your mental health. Burnout is a real thing. And believe it or not, physical health is important too. Take care of both--mind and body. Walk away from the writing and get some fresh air. Live your life, but always return to writing at some point.
Be consistent. Write at the table? Use that space to keep writing. When you're surrounded by family members, creating a routine will tell them when you're in writing mode. Make it known verbally as well. That way you can get your writing time in. If you have an office space, close the door. You can even put up a sign that says "Writer at work". That way, everyone knows to leave you be. It doesn't always work, so find a routine that works for YOU. Even no routine is a routine lol. Some writers enjoy working on a spontaneous routine--that's okay too. Be true to who you are, but be consistent with it. You can trick your brain that way. It lets your mind know, it is time to get down to business and write. Let me know if that doesn't make any sense.
You can set a limit for how long you're writing. "I'm going to write X amount of words." When you've reached that word count, it's up to you if you want to stop or keep going. Or, you can set a time limit. "I'm going to write for 2 hours." When 2 hours have come and gone, you can stop or keep going. Setting limits is healthy, don't get discouraged by them. We all have limits. You can push through them or use them as a guide so you're not pushing too hard. It's kind of like goals. If you don't reach them, it's okay. Don't be hard on yourself when you don't reach the limit. It's happened to the best of us. You can either let it go and start fresh the next day or make up for it. It's up to you and how you feel about it. But punish yourself for not achieving something.
Laptop, computer, tablet, phone, longhand--your choice. This depends on how you want to put words down, what you have access to, or simply what you prefer. We're all different. Don't let anyone tell you, you have to use a typewriter or laptop, or whatever. Do what makes you feel more comfortable. I remember reading that a tall author used the top of his fridge to write longhand for his stories. Another writer wrote his entire book on napkins. Granted, that would be confusing, but I'm not that writer. We're all different. If you want to write in three different places because you're always on the move, then write in different places. I once spoke to an author who wrote on her phone while she was at work, and then on her laptop once she got home. They were linked, which made it easier for her. And that's okay because it worked for her. Be YOU.
Use whatever font you want. If using cursive makes you more creative, then use cursive. You can change the font at any point once the story is finished. No one ever sees the first draft. Make a mess if it helps you. Some writers write longhand and doodle on the sides of the pages. I've done that before lol. I don't normally change the font until I get to the formatting stage of the process, but that's how I am. Do YOU.
And those are my tips for writing the first draft. I'm sure there are more, but my brain is hurting lol. If you can think of some other tips, leave them in the comments.
Thank you!
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