Rough drafts.

Right now, I am working on something I love.

But it took me about five abandoned drafts and a lot of frustration in the past few months to be able to say that.

Before I continue, I guess now would be time to give the amateur disclaimer.

I am currently an unpublished author. While I have finished writing one novel and have finally hit what feels like the sweet spot with the first draft of my second book, I have yet to hold a hardcopy of either of those books in my hands.

So, it is very possible I have zero clue what I’m talking about. I’m young and new. Take the following with a grain of salt.

Regardless, as I’ve worked through this second book, I’ve realized how much I’ve learned since I wrote my first book.

To any fellow writers in the rough draft stage, here’s a few things I’ve learned:

1.     Keep all your drafts, and let yourself (make yourself, actually) finish the bad chapters.

This one it isn’t one that works every time. But it’s worked enough times for me, that I feel like it’s worth it to throw in here. The whole essence of a rough draft is that parts will be deleted and rewritten. But some parts will be kept! Look. I get it. Sometimes, you have to give up on a chapter when you just know it’s not the one that’ll stick around. But if you’re unsure, or you start to get the feeling to ditch a version of a chapter but can still vaguely see how that chapter could end, I’d encourage you to consider sticking it out. Here’s why: ideas turn into more ideas, and you never know what parts you might write in that chapter, that will end up sticking around, even if nothing else from that one does. Two of my favorite chapters in my first book were born out of chapters I knew weren’t it. But I finished writing them even though I knew I wouldn’t keep them as a whole, and within those pages, I ended up writing pieces and ideas that turned into chapters I love. Which leads me to: keep all your drafts. It took me about five drafts to get to the one I’m at now, but I’m pulling from all the previous ones I started and got stuck on.

2.     Rewatch your favorite TV shows.

I know, I know. Anyone who knows me is probably laughing as they read that sentence. Because I am notorious for just sticking to my favorite shows. Particularly one. But if I didn’t do this, I wouldn’t have discovered this tip!

Theoretically, if it’s one of your favorite shows, you’ve seen it once, twice, maybe seventeen times (if you’re me). Meaning, you know it well. Or you can at least pick up on or remember what’s coming as you’re watching. And each time you rewatch it, there’s a good chance you’ll pick up on something you didn’t notice last time. If you’re a writer, who already knows a certain show well, there’s a good chance you’ll start to dissect and break down different parts. For example, the one show I’m known for rewatching is Friday Night Lights. Honestly, I don’t even know how many times I’ve seen it. And still, I’m picking up on new things almost every time I watch it. This past week, as I was watching, I was noting aspects I had pieced together in a new way. I would love to tell you why I now think the writers wrote Tim Riggins’ storyline the way they did in season two and what it did for his dynamic with Coach Taylor, and ultimately, Riggins’ own character development. My point in this and why it’s a tip I’m giving, is that the more you dig into something, the more you can learn from it. If you’re watching a show you know and love, aka writing you know and love (because someone wrote it), 1) you theoretically won’t mind watching it a bunch of times, so, 2) you can really break it down and 3) through this, you can learn how to build characters and storylines from a source you already respect. Theoretically, my characters just might be written better, because I can tell you why I think Tim Riggins was written to do what he does in season two of FNL. Because I learned something about character development.

(P.S. if Peter Berg and/or Jason Katims happen to be reading my little blog, I just need to say that I think you guys are geniuses. I know very little about TV writing, but if you ever have a spot for someone to just sit and witness one of your projects unfold, me! Me! Please pick me!!)

(I’m also known to rewatch The West Wing. Aaron Sorkin might be the reason dialogue is my favorite thing to write. So, Sorkin, if you happen to be reading this, I’ll just throw it out there that my wild dream is to be in one of your writers’ rooms.)

3.     Don’t feel pressure to share your draft and choose carefully who you share it with.

This is probably my biggest regret with my first book. I felt the need prove myself to people. So, I was constantly sending pieces of my draft to friends and family when they asked for them. Or if they said yes, when I asked if they’d read what I had written. And a lot of times, I wouldn’t hear anything back. Most of the time, I’d later hear from them that they’re just busy and actually don’t have time to read. But guess what my insecure, overthinking writer brain was doing the whole time after I sent them stuff?

Convincing myself that they actually hated it and just didn’t want to tell me.

I’m writing this second book largely in solitude; only one friend, who is a huge reader and has replied to everything I’ve ever sent her (with really honest feedback!) has seen parts of this book.

When you do want to share parts of your draft, ask whoever you’re considering sharing with to be honest with you about the time they actually have to read. Also know what kind of feedback you want from them and ask them to be honest with that, too. What I mean is, do you want them to dissect your writing style and grammar, or are you not ready for that yet? Do you want them to only read it for the essence of the story and give you opinions there? Or do you just want a very general, surface-level opinion on simply if they liked it not? Tell your early readers your expectations and what you’re looking for.

And, I mean this in the most loving way possible, but if you happen to be someone who a writer approaches about reading their stuff and you say yes, please don’t leave them anxiously waiting with ultimately no response. I can promise you it took a lot courage for them to share it with you and at the very least, tell them you’re busy and don’t have the time you thought you had to read. If your writer friend is anything like me, they’re literally torturing themselves in your silence.

I’m sure I’ll continue to learn a lot more as I keep writing and maybe later down the road, I’ll even come back and say to forget some of these tips. 

Either way, rough drafts can be simultaneously so exciting and frustrating. 

Stay in it.

Trust me. The one thing I know will stand true, is that the feeling of getting to that last page is so  worth it.

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