Writing the first draft of a novel is both thrilling and excruciating. Thrilling because we are finally getting the idea out of our minds and on to the page, and excruciating because it can be hard to know when to stop. It is very easy to get stuck in the cycle of editing a single chapter forever, never getting to finish the book. I know that because I’ve been there plenty of times, and currently am in that zone now. But I recently reminded myself of the four checks I sub-consciously used to finish my previous first drafts, and they are what I want to share with you now:
The Core Check: You Hit “The End”
Have you written the story till the final full stop? If you have, you’re done with the draft. End of story. And really, it doesn’t matter how messy, ridiculous, or ugly your writing is. Nobody’s going to read it at this point. Try to avoid going back to earlier chapters in order to make them perfect. That is not the important thing at this stage. If you fall into that trap, you may never be free until decades later!
The Character Check: They Reached Their Destination
Go back to your original novel planner and character profile. See if your main character has completed their arc. Did they reach the final conflict in the story? Did they change, whether for the better or the worse? An incomplete arc equals and incomplete story. You need to ensure your character starts somewhere and ends somewhere else. And don’t worry if you are writing a book series. Your character can still have their unique arcs in every installment that adds up to the overall arc in the series. Above all, remember that the idea here is to make sure the story is finished even if the writing itself is not good.
The Logic Check: The Story Makes Sense Only To You
So long as you can read the draft and understand the flow, the draft is done - even if it has placeholders. Examples of placeholders are: ‘insert description here’ or ‘need to create a better pay-off for this’. Those you can fill in afterwards, especially if they don't really affect the story. You are the one who needs to understand the flow at this point, not the entire world. Plot holes and typos are editing problems, not drafting problems. You can clean up the discrepancies later.
The Fatigue Check: You Can’t Look at it Anymore
Mental exhaustion is a writer's nightmare. Sometimes, when you feel like you can’t stomach the sight of your manuscript, or that you want to run away and hide from it forever, it can be the sign you need to know that the heavy lifting is finished, and your first draft is done. When that happens, schedule yourself a break. It can be two weeks, it can be a month, whatever you need. Rest. Relax. Afterwards, you can start phase 2 (editing).
Writing a book is a huge achievement, and finishing your first draft is a great accomplishment. So keep pushing, keep writing, and get those words on the page. Don’t worry about how it looks. It’s called ‘first draft’ for a reason. Now that it’s done, take a break, and prepare for the editing phase.
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