What Is A First Draft?
There is a misconception among people who don’t write for a living that a professional writer’s first draft is basically the story the writer wanted to tell, only with a few spelling errors and some places where the writer didn’t get the style quite right.
In readers’ minds, the final draft will be like the first draft, only prettied up a bit.
Nothing could be further from the truth. I can’t say that all professional writers’ first drafts are wrecks. I can say that, with the sole exception of Sympathy for the Devil, which was published with only a couple of lines changed from my first draft, all of mine have been.
In my first drafts, I’m still finding my story the whole way through the book, finding my themes, pursuing characters who shift and change as I write them, working toward the final forms that I frequently don’t even figure out until I write the ending.
So let me define WRECKED FIRST DRAFT for you. In the majority of my revisions, I add about 30%-50% to the length of the manuscript, rewrite about 75% of the story, delete whole chapters, eliminate and condense some characters, change themes, completely toss much of the beginning (the part of the novel furthest from my final vision of what the book should be) add in world details…
The list goes on. It’s a long list. I only do one major revision per novel, but it’s a massive undertaking. (If you’re curious, I list out everything that a revision of a first draft requires here. This goes to the course description for the revision course I created.)
Why am I telling you this?
Because I received a nasty little note from someone who’d been reading the TalysMana first draft, and who wanted to make sure I knew my writing had deteriorated from finished work like The World Gates novels and The Secret Texts. She wanted me to know she wouldn’t be reading any more of my work.
In fact, I’ve learned a lot about writing in the years since I wrote those books. However, first draft is not the place for refined prose. If you try to revise a novel before you’ve finished writing it, you’re just going to screw yourself and the story up.
First draft is the place to figure out what the story you’re telling needs to become. It’s the place to make mistakes, to try out new ideas, to explore variations on existing ideas. It’s a place to break things, and move on knowing they’re broken, writing until you discover the way to fix what broke. First draft is a rough sketch, nothing more—and in spite of the fact that my first-draft prose is mostly pretty readable, it’s nothing like complete, and bears very little resemblance to my final draft work.
So while you’re reading TalysMana, keep in mind that this is the rawest of raw first draft. I haven’t even bothered to check for spelling before posting. I wanted readers to see how a first draft comes into being—including all the wrong turns, the places that break, the thin worldbuilding, the little sparks of themes that will become brilliant torches in the revision.
First draft is an adventure, and just this once, I wanted to share it. (I don’t even let editors or my agent read my first drafts—ever—so this is way outside anything I’ve ever shared with readers.)
Read, enjoy, cringe when things crash…
Just don’t mistake this for the book TalysMana will be when I’m done with it. This isn’t even close.
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For what it’s worth, I’ve found reading a published writer’s first draft very useful – informative and encouraging. It’s a very effective way of showing aspiring writers that you can’t seek creativity and perfection at the same time.
So, thanks.
I too find it useful. I have a couple of books of artists like Julie Bell where the entire book is about showing sketches and incomplete drawings/paintings.
Seeing that a master of a craft also has to do a lot of thinking and revising (and even makes fundamental mistakes here and there) is very inspiring. There is nothing worse than looking at someone’s awesome work and telling yourself “I’ll never be that good!” But to see professional ‘first drafts’ of manuscripts, song lyrics, or sketch art, really helps the student feel that they are not alone, and with hard work even crap can eventually be refined into something good.
Wow. I can’t believe someone would write something like that to you! I’ve been aware the whole time that this is a first draft, and have still been loving it.
It’s fascinating to watch the process as the story develops and changes and evolves week by week. Thanks for allowing me to peek into that process!
I wish every writer (and reader) could read this. I’ve seen real shock on student’s faces when I suggest that they can add, change or remove bits at the beginning to make other bits at the end fit – as if I’ve told them to cheat.
You’re very brave doing this, Holly. I’m not sure I’d share my first drafts! But then, mine don’t usually even make sense
Wow. I’m in shock that someone would stoop low enough to send you a nasty message — what purpose does that serve her? Ego-boost?
She clearly needs to take a gander at your revisions course. (By the way, HTRYN is the best workshop I’ve ever taken. Ever.)
I’m sorry people are snots, but please don’t stop sharing TalysMana with us! For me, seeing your process has been an invaluable learning experience — it takes courage to share your first draft with others, and your courage boosts me, too. Thank you, Holly.
Holly,
Thank you for posting this. I’m sorry that it took someone not reading the “This is rough, I’ll fix it later,” prefix on your e-mails to prompt it, though. I’d assumed most of us who are reading TalysMana are also writers; I guess I was wrong. But I’ve also had trouble defending my writing dream to my family members, who always want to see my drafts before they’re done and then inform me that I got the story “wrong.” It’s a terrible feeling, and I’m sorry that you’re being put there again. Please don’t give up on the rest of us, though.
: D
I had the same experience so many times that I gave up writing for many years. I don’t show my writing to part of my family at all any more and to others only occasionally.
There are some unkind peeps out there who seem to enjoy griping, but thankfully there are so many more who will make the effort to contact a writer to let her know how much they enjoy her work.
This incident just goes to show that there are people out there who believe stories flow easily from a writer’s fingertips in pure and perfect form, as if writers were magical beings who don’t have to work hard at what they do but sit behind their desks smiling and scribbling all the livelong day. What a lovely idea. I wish!
Anyway, I’m loving TalysMana, and I’m looking forward to watching the process of how you work your way from rough first draft to finished masterpiece. I know I will learn a lot, just as I have from studying on your two writers’ boot camps.
Wow, can’t believe someone would write such a nasty email! Well, personally I am having a blast reading Talysmana and getting to see how a career novelist gets from first draft to the published book. And this essay is extremely encouraging for me because the first draft I’m writing for my first novel is extremely rough and it’s nice to know that’s okay!
Thank you for opening your private process to those of us who aspire to be writers. Knowing your finished work and seeing the raw first draft is an eye-opening experience. Your first draft is better and seems to flow more easily than mine, but your have a few dozen novels under your belt, so I won’t put myself down for that. Yet, I can see the raw edges and I more readily understand the process of revision and re-writes … and why they wait until your are finished.
Oh, I hate people like that. They get up in the mornings with no other purpose in mind but to ruin someone else’s day.
I’m with you all the way on this, and some of the things you’ve written here had me nodding in sympathy. “Don’t try to revise while you’re writing” is a lesson I didn’t learn for the first six years, and saw me revising and mutilating and rewriting a novel from the ground up. It wasn’t pretty, and it still ain’t finished.
I am also glad to see that somebody else hates beginnings. My least favorite part of the writing process is figuring out to to start things.
Don’t let this get to you, Holly. You’ve got a stadium (well, an e-stadium) full of folks cheering you on, and quite frankly, the last installment of TalysMana – in my opinion – just went from entertaining to “ooh that’s GOOD”.
I will certainly be reading more. I imagine the same is true for many others here.
Holly, I’ve been reading TalysMana while working on the H2TS course, and it’s been really helpful to me in understanding what a scene is, and how a “twist” should be incorporated. I’ve appreciated your generosity in making the first draft available, warts and all. I’m sorry somebody just really didn’t get it.
I am absolutely appalled that someone would be so rude as to write an email like that to you. It’s ALL OVER the emails that come out that this scene in the story is a raw first draft.
Holly, I am so incredibly thankful that you are including us in your creative process. I’ve learned more from you about how to be a writer in the last few years than I ever imagined possible.
One of the many exciting about reading TalysMana in this form the learning the process. I can’t wait to see the changes in the finished product – after editing.
Hopefully a few jerks don’t ruin it for the rest of us. What you do is priceless and I don’t want to miss a second of it!
Well, compared to mine, your first drafts are absolutely awesome ;-P
Aside from the uneducated comment you got, for which I am truly sorry, I am *very* glad you posted this, because I am struggling with a first draft that is unacceptably bad even in my own eyes, and your post has made me realise that it *does not matter* and I can go on writing the rest without getting demotivated or doing 50 revisions or so of the bad part…
Thank you, you’re always an inspiration!
I’m glad this hasn’t changed your mind on writing Talysmana for us. I love seeing first draft from you–it’s a learning experience. I can’t wait to see what other elements change as you progress the story, and how it all turns out in revision. This is amazing to watch. And as one who never shares first draft for the same reasons, thank you for sharing this.
Wow. Clearly that reader is not herself a writer.
Knowing how awful my own first drafts are, I have nothing but awestruck respect for anyone brave enough to share theirs with the world.
The only important thing about a first draft is that it exists. If it happens to be readable and coherent, too, that’s just gravy.
Katherine–you have got that right. The only thing that matters is that it exists.
I am loving Talysmana and my viewer, too–though I haven’t learned yet to see my story in it. Maybe that will be lesson 22?
As for the snotty emailer–she probably thinks she is a writer. Lucky for us, the snots of the world are irrelevant!
From the note she’d written it was clear she was one of those sad little bitter people, the ones that would never even have the courage to attempt to FINISH something, much less submit it whee rejection is sure to occur and FAR less than that would she ever let other writers see her less-than-perfect first draft.
I think you are one of the bravest people I know and as your daughter MY opinion counts – lol
I agree with all the above comments. I have learnt so much from watching/reading your output for this story.
Some people are put on this earth to make the rest of us feel miserable. We have to learn to dismiss their opinions as irrelevent and not allow it to force us into negative vibes.
Keep writing and keep teaching. We are all better writers when we practice your processes. And, I love the story and the change of character is so right!
I find TalysMana a fascinating experience. To see, how the parts that build the whole come into existance and then, bit by bit, come together is so encouraging.
I wish my finished works would be as good as your first draft, but hey, that’s a matter of experience.
True, this is (at this stage) nowhere near as good and deep as your finished works, BUT IT’S FIRST DRAFT for (insert appropriate deity of your faith) sake…
I love it, I’m being inspired by it and thank you very much for the gift of showing us how the process works. Keep up the good work and don’t let the griefers get to you.
And to the insensitive, immature and downright nasty person, who wrote the original note:
You are totally entitled to your opinion and the consequences you wish to threaten with.
But I would advice you to grow up, learn a little respect and take this gift for what it is (see original post of Holly).
If you chose to not follow this advice, you are also absolutly entitled to keep said opinion to yourself.
I’m a little surprised since the beginning of every email has a disclaimer. JEEZ. They’ve certainly never tried to write anything before. One of the things I am looking forward to is reading along with the original. and then later getting to read the finished product and see all the changes/layers/character developments and etc that I know writers add to stories.
If they don’t like it, why don’t they just unsubscribe and stick to bookstores?
I’m getting such a buzz from reading your first draft – it’s a privilege to see how the process works, and I’m REALLY looking forward to reading Shadowcross in its final form too. Reading my own first drafts vs final publication is… rather flat. However, because you’re such an esteemed writer, sharing in this whole process is exciting.
Thanks.
Dear Holly,
I say that becasue you are dear. Dear to me and to many like me, who cherish you for your willingness and your daring to share so much of yourself, in your classes, in your various courses and in the quick lively generous kind way that is both honest and straight forward. And, now, with a first draft. Your bravery is astounding.
You are both teaching and reminding others like me that all is not lost and no matter what has come our way we can go on living. In fact, we can go far beyond simply surviving but on to thrive, even to blossom in unexpected ways.
I, personally, am remembering I can can take myself as far as I am willing to go, and, I am willing to go far. Soooo…..
Don’t stop now. Please keep showing us how it’s done.
TalysMana… forever yahoo!!!
Alice
Holly,
I haven’t been reading Talysmana. Is it too late for me to join?
Having read this post about the “roughness” of rough drafts, I am extremely interested in Talysmana. My own rough drafts (of which none is complete) have been fraught with starts/stops, comments such as “transition needed here,” and even a few places where several versions of a scene exist because ideas came but I wasn’t sure which worked best.
I’m surprised that the individual actually took the time to write something that was such a downer. I am not, however, surprised that he/she thought the writing should be closer to “finished” version. I once asked my mother to read my opening 2 chapters in a novel. She got less than 3 pages in and proceeded to tell me a host of things wrong with it. It was a blow. I haven’t worked on it since.
Thankfully I have not stopped writing. I’m just waiting for my ego to heal on that one project.
Does anyone else feel like they can’t discuss what they write with others without receiving a deluge of, not just unwanted input, but suggestions on plot lines that have nothing to do with the story? Is it normal to feel like you should just not talk about writing (especially with non-writers)? Am I making sense?
Holly, thank you for all of your time and effort that is put into making writers better. I may be going slow (the Blob moves faster), but I’m still going and, eventually, I’ll make it. Thanks.
Tamara
Hi, Tamara,
It’s not too late to join.
As for your writing question:
There’s a rule of writing survival that you don’t show your first draft to anyone. ESPECIALLY not before the book is finished.
I am running directly in the face of survival just this once. It’s a challenge, it interests me to do it, and it allows my daughter and me to collaborate on something unusual, and bring in other folks to participate at the same time.
But.
Don’t show your first drafts to anyone who doesn’t write (and this includes both agents and editors—they aren’t writers, and their comments on first draft will screw you up). NEVER EVER show your first draft to someone who isn’t a real writer—a dedicated, regular writer. Publication doesn’t matter…having someone who’s in the trenches with you every day does.
And frequently don’t even show first draft to your writers’ group. Writers groups can be useful during revision. They can be encouraging during first draft. But they can also be devastating, and frankly, if this is something you want to do, then encouragement is nice, but it isn’t useful, and a million writers have written and succeeded without it.
I except myself from this rule only because I’ve published professionally with 30+ novels, I have a lot of experience recovering from even unthinkably huge first-draft screw-ups, and my first draft prose is mostly readable.
And I don’t embarrass easily.
Hi Tamara,
Ok, I’ll bite. And reveal a huge chunk of why my current WIP is not W-ing. (Ominous silence…) My book is not mine. I have come to love it, and the characters, and the relative freedom I have with it…but it’s not mine. The idea was my boyfriend’s, before he was my boyfriend, and now we’ve been married 8 years, and it’s STILL the biggest fight between us. He has layed out a timeline and some major story points and said I could fill in the rest, but then he claims editorial rights to every last word. He has rewritten and “improved” it so much that I can’t stand it, but…I can’t give it up without litigation. He’s NOT a writer, but he’s great at coming up with ideas, which is how come it’s supposed to be a five-novel series and I haven’t finished even one draft in…eleven years. (Various angst-ridden comments here.)
You are SO not alone
Holly, can I copy your posts and give them to people asking for drafts?
Hi Tamara
I had people wanting to chip in with ideas and tell me which stories/genres they’d be interested in reading, etc. They basically wanted to have a say without having to do any of the legwork. A bit of a diluted version of Danzier’s situation. I became a master at making sure conversation largely avoided my writing, answering any questions quite bluntly. I’ve now come to the stage where I rarely talk about it, and on the odd occasion when I feel I’d like to discuss the process (as opposed to the plot), such as after a bad day, I choose someone I trust and instigate the conversation. I think it’s important to defend your dream and the story you want to tell while it’s still in the nest. Once it’s done and can stand alone, or fly if you like, then you’re in a much better position to take criticism and to know which of it is valid.
So you’re making sense to me! Just my thoughts…
Thank you Holly, Danzier, and Greg for your replies. I believe I will keep my rough drafts completely to myself in future. Thank you for your sage advice also about talking and interacting with non-writers.
Tamara
You’re welcome.
Holly, I didn’t see an answer to my printout question, so I went ahead and printed your “What is a Rough Draft?” post (with the url at the bottom) and when my hubby asked how I was doing on the book I said, “Ok, but I think you should read this please.”
He’s now backed way off, and instead of saying “fix this!” he has started saying “were you planning to work on this part when you revise?” Happy dance! : D
I NEVER allow someone to read my work until it is close to finished. And when I do hand it to them, I listen to everything that they say, but I do not just jump in and start changing things.
What I do is look for glaring oversights:
“How did the cat end up in the laundry room towards the end when you had it hit by a car in the first third of the story?”
…or Related complaints:
Reader #1: “That guy that drives the crane at the boneyard is annoying. I almost stopped reading your story because I hated him so much.”
Reader #2: “Couldn’t stand the crane guy. Gave up reading.”
Reader #3: “I skipped most of chapter three because the guy at the wrecking yard swore WAY too much. It was jarring.”
Thank you so much for sharing your draft. I have often felt embarrassed (all by myself in private) that my drafts sometimes, have nothing to do with the finished story, or never makes sense and can only use a third from the whole of the draft. You have made my day in seeing that a draft is just that…a draft…the flowing of creativity from deep inside and out into the fresh air to be moulded and shaped into a final piece.I wonder if the ‘negative’ person was under the impression that your previous books has been written to perfection immediately. Having said that, I am enjoying your draft as a good story thus far.
Thank you for sharing your first draft and experiences both positive and negative.
I am sorry that someone sent such an ignorant message. You, paid published author, are sharing a work for free. No one forced her to read. She didn’t have to pay anything for it. Just what is her problem?
These posts have already helped me. I have never finished a manuscript in part because I get so disgusted with myself and the draft lacking polish and cohesiveness. It gives me hope that someone who makes a living at this is unhappy with their first results.
Again, thank you.
Holly: this explanation of first draft has set me free! I’ve had writer’s block for weeks, so dissatisfied with what I was writing. Just seemed unable to get what I wanted to say to come out right on paper. It was a long way from what I really wanted to say. I kept trying to ‘do better’ and kept getting more lost in it. And discouraged. Now I know to let the thin theme and the blank scenes not stop me until I get to the end. THEN I can spend the time with the whole thing to do revision to bring out what I wanted in the first place. Bless you! Since there is bound to be at least one little rock in a bag of dried beans, don’t let it stop you from cooking the package…one snarley person does not a fan base make! We love you. We believe in you. Go Girl!
I’m glad that I have the original emails. Sometimes stuff that I like doesn’t wind up in the finished draft, and I want to re-read the original version — even if the final is technically better.
Dear Holly,
The internet sure is full of them, huh? The foreword sent out with every email seems pretty loud and clear to me, but I’m sadly also well-acquainted with the type who want to have a gripe even if the reason not to is staring them in the face. Pay ‘em no mind! It’s been a pleasure to read this story (honestly, first draft or no, I’m hooked) and I really look forward to more!
Holly,
I’m taking your HTRYN class and, although moving slowly through it, I find much in my “polished” 6th or 7th revision that needs to be repaired; it’s much more unfinished than Talysmana. But in reading Talysmana I can see/feel the story unfolding. Your dream is becoming solid but is still in the moldable state it must be to become the beauty you envision it. All I can say for the poor person who wrote the nasty note is that they don’t even have the imagination and courage to dream with you. S/he must be one of the pitiful who lost their imagination at a young age and find that nothing is as good as their childhood memories are when they could ride dragons and out soar eagles. Thank you for letting us into your private dreamspace where we can enjoy with you the process of creation.
Holly, I am so glad you are out there doing what you do.
You’re a great teacher and I like to think I’m learning quite a bit from you.
I’m enjoying following your first draft and I’m sorry that reader didn’t understand what you are doing but maybe she’ll get it one day and she’ll remember…. oh yes she will.
You said it was a first draft from the start. I’ve actually been amazed at how polished and coherent it is.
And I’m really enjoying it.
Maybe you need a disclaimer at the top of every scene?
************This is a first draft***********
********* This is ONLY a first draft*********
If this had been a Final Draft, you would not be getting this for free and would now owe me money.
****Warning – Story in Flux. Changes will happen at my discretion. Please file all complaints to your nearest available wastebasket*******
That’s seriously funny, and a really excellent idea.
Holly,
I just finished your motivation course. I did it because I was finding myself so stuck in HtRYN and Lo and Behold… I’ve begun to write peotry.
I didn’t like peotry in school or out and if you’d told me I’d be writing poetry I would have rushed you to the nearest hospital emergency room to have your temperature taken.
Not only am I writing and sharing it… [apparently it's good stuff according to several strong poets I know ] I’m loving the doing of it. Amazing.
That’s great course which surprized me and both showed me new things i had hidden away in side and helped me reclaim another piece of myself.
So I too am in flux, how wonderful, Alice
I love this story. You may feel it needs lots of work, but I can’t see it. It’s fabulous.
You know what? I wonder how Little Miss Nasty Note managed to pick up that your work had deteriorated. She’s obviously challenged in the reading department – how else would she miss the disclaimer at the beginning of each email that you’re sharing the first draft of the story. For free, as well.
I’m sure you knew before everybody left their comments here how much (almost) everyone is enjoying the story as it unfolds. Like everyone before me, I’m glad you’re sharing the first draft with us.
Ditto to all the amazing things people have said so far. You have given me the courage to write-write-write, instead of write-fuss-write-delete-revise-write-fuss-worry-worry-some-more-stop. You have changed my life & made “the impossible dream” something I now know I can do, and do well. Thank you!
Dear Holly,
Well, everyone else has already pretty much said it. The only thing I would like to add is that maybe this woman is a friend of Nate’s….
Holly, I really appreciate seeing more of your creative process. Reading your draft I think I’m finally getting the idea of what a “scene” means. And now I realize that many of what I thought were my own scenes have nothing important happening… well, easier to realize it now than in revision. Thanks so much for sharing!
This is why it might be therapeutic to mentally squash these bugs. Sometimes I can’t help but get frustrated at the sheer stupidity of such behavior, but the best thing to do is keep writing and move on.
Holly, I’ve read your Secret Texts series and I’ve been reading TalysMana, and I’m fascinated by the differences and can’t wait to see how TalysMana shapes up. The draft you are so bravely sharing with us is a great window into the writing process, one that few writers of any skill get to see. Every little bit I learn about that process bolsters my own resolve to stop editing and start writing till I actually have a full draft! I further bolster it by repeating to myself that the first novel is always the hardest.
Dear Holly
For what it’s worth, I have enjoyed reading your first draft. I have just read your explanation on what a first draft is, and I can’t thank you enough for that. I now know that my half written NaNoWriMo project from last year isn’t a complete failure because the story kept changing on me. I now also know that I should have listened to that story even through all it’s weird mutations and changes. I still believe in that story and I still want to write it, so perhaps one day I will wake up and know that the day has come to tell that story. For now I am happy to learn from wonderful people like you, who quite literally opens up their most private spaces for aspiring writers. I am sorry someone thought your writing had deteriorated; I’m even sorrier that she had to be nasty about it. Thank you for all the wise words and great stories.
I tried to sign up for your “Read TalysMana as it’s written!”, but when I clicked “sign up” I was sent to an error page that said something like “the mailing list isn’t up right now, press the back button and notify the web page owner” (I’m sure that isn’t quite what it said, but it is close, and you get the idea) So now what? was it down for maintenance? do I try later?
I am exited to read this, I was a test reader for someone else and, and besides being extremely cool to read the unpolished work, it helped me to stop worrying about making my first draft perfect: If a provisional writer made some of the errors I worried so much about while writing, and know that they were making errors and that that is why the whole revision process was invented; then I didn’t need to worry so much about my work being perfect before the revision and editing process.
I want to thank you, Holley, for being brave enough to share this with us so that we can learn what it takes to write a novel: that starting point that is the first draft. Please let me know when I can sign up for the reading. I will do my best to write with you, though my word count will probably be inconsistent at this time of year (Oh well, life happens: you just keep plugging)
I’m not actually sure what’s wrong. I didn’t realize the mailing list was down. I only have three chapters to go on the book, and I’ve got a few other projects ahead of finishing it, but I’m working my way through the list.
Can you put a link to the “write a book with me” page or the TalysMana page on your home page? I had a devil of a time finding my way back here today.
I wanted to see I would be able to sign up today, and had to go to the site map to find this page. I will be able to get back here again now that I know how to find this page on the site map, so there is no hurry on this. I realize you have a lot to deal with right now (and for the foreseeable future, or so it seems to me, what with writing and teaching and all)
Thanks for the time you take to work with us, Alan
I came across this posting because I had to finally google, “My first draft is a mess.” I am finally finishing a novel that has taken an epically long time to finish. And I had been working on a scene that I had doubts about and then something hit me…something that told me that the entire pace of the novel will have to change because of something missing throughout the whole book. A part of me felt almost defeated because I hadn’t wanted to realize so much would have to change. But it’s so nice to hear someone say that yes, first drafts can be messy and very often far from where they started. Thank you for this!