How to Write Your FIRST First Draft!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

I really love putting together these freebies, so if there's one you want to see, let me know!! Here's the link to today's checklist one more time, if ya missed it ;) mailchi.mp/ef6744e74d02/myfirstfirstdraftchecklist

[@HannahTheHorrible]

“You can edit for anything...but lack of passion”. Bam. Wow. I needed that.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

This is why I'm SO CURIOUS about what you're writing, because if your channel is any indication of your passions, that is going to be one dark af book!

[@juliawitmerauthor]

"You can edit for anything but lack of passion." 100% agree with you, and a really important thing for me to keep in mind while writing - whether it's a first, third, or 20th book written. Thanks for the video!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

You're so right, Julia - it's true no matter how many books you've written. Thank you so much for watching!

[@indigooowl7225]

I know this video is 4 years old, but god it has helped me massively! Dialogue and voice are definitely my strongest areas, world building and descriptions my weakest. When I just let all of that go, my first draft flew onto the page (although it was mostly conversations between characters) - but I found it so much easier to go back and build the world around these conversations. Thanks so much!

[@piersyfy4148]

I've looked up videos like this a billion times, and I think I've finally heard here what will help me push through... Damn, you're the best!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thank you so much!! I'm so happy this was helpful! :)

[@portiawrites]

Wow I needed this today! I have been stalled in a story and feeling overwhelmed by balancing plot threads and character arc and voice and world and and and… I feel like you just gave me a big permission slip to go roll around in voice and world and character - and just see where it goes! Thank you!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

So glad this was helpful, Portia! Thanks for watching and good luck!!! Have fun playing with that story! :D

[@christopherdinunnojr2536]

I found this video so helpful. Honestly, how simple you described and broke down each key element made my life ten if not a hundred times easier. Writing them down put me in a different world of perspective. What is more important and what isn't. What my focal point is and what is holding me back. Thanks for the help!

[@opheliawild]

I finally was able to break through writer's block and imposter syndrome and get into flow when I just let myself move without judgment (instead of wrestling) between planning and pantsing. For my current priority WIP that has been this cool mixture of outlining just enough to get the writing wheels in motion, then the writing is just flowing and out pop all these cool ideas and options. Pretty fun when that happens! Also, I think the type of writing project matters on this. I need the structure with the fantasy novel because it requires knowing something about the magic system, types of characters, world, etc. If I were writing a shorter work of literary fiction examining an emotion or something, I probably would do very little plotting first, just a synopsis and start writing and see where it takes me.

[@sherrylalonde5719]

Thank you for this Michelle. I feel like I've lucked out and am getting a personal writing workshop thanks to your videos! I've subscribed for the freebies on your website and I they've already helped me out. I think character arcs intimidate me the most as I'm finding my characters(both good and bad) flat, one-dimensional and lacking agency. I'd love to see future videos on this topic if anyone else is struggling with the same issues.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

You are so welcome! Thanks for all the insightful comments. That is a GREAT topic suggestion. I had the exact same problem with the very first book I wrote. The main character was a sort of 16 year old generic everyman, haha. I'll absolutely add this one to my list!

[@ShubhaJaggi]

Amid the noise of writing advice surfing the web, yours is a relatable voice of reason!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thank you!!

[@a-z-fell]

Thank you so much for this, Michelle! I almost abandoned my first proper project this week so I've been looking for advice on first drafts and your video is the first one I have felt really inspired by! I realised that I am most looking forward to the themes and tropes that I want to write and least excited about voice as I am not sure what that means for me yet, thank you so much for putting it into words!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Oh wow, this comment made my day! Thanks so much for watching, and I'm so glad this video was helpful for you. That sounds like a really important revelation. Voice took me awhile to figure out, too - but you'll get there! In the meantime, have fun with that draft! 😃

[@SherbertLomon]

I love, love, love this. Best advice I’ve heard. You made me excited to write again. Thank youuu 💜

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Aw, I'm so glad this was helpful! Thank you for watching!

[@ZMicMac]

This was super encouraging! When I finished the video I felt excited to continue writing!

[@fridgeghost4017]

Perfect timing and amazing advice. I'm 6k in and the pdf was incredibly helpful!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thank you and hooray!! I'm so happy to hear that! 😆

[@rosamariagarciaguardiola51]

This has helped me so much right now. Thank you for the freebies. :)

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

I'm so glad, Rosa! Thank you for watching! :)

[@starklingspars8956]

This is amazingl i almost ignored you when you said get a pen and paper, but I did it . Wow lol. Plot is at the bottom of the list as my weakest point but then I felt so much releif when you said it's ok to fix it lated! Thank you! ( I will still Outline a bit but I'll now look positively at how the things I'm excited about/ or have figured out/ feel stronger at: , Theme and Worldbulding and Voice, , will fuel my first draft

[@neuroticnovelist]

I’m new to your channel and this is the video that made me hit subscribe!! I’m many books ahead of my first but I still needed to hear all of this. Sometimes going back to basics and whipping the slate clean of everything you’ve learned about structures and prose is what needs to be done in order to focus on the passion of the project instead.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Hi Libbie! Thanks so much for watching (and subscribing!) :) Yeah, I couldn't agree more - I feel like this is a lesson I relearn every couple of years, when I find myself dragging my feet on drafting and I can't figure out why.

[@PickaGodandPray]

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH for your fun freebies! They are easy to ready and I love how colorful they are with nice open space. Really draws the eyes in and helps retain information without too much clutter! I loved the strengths exercise. I hadn't realized until this that I don't like writing clothing description and prefer to write dialogue instead! I really liked "all writers have to revise all books" yes, practice works with all activities. Like using a muscle! Thank you for your videos, they're up beat and motivational while also being informative!!!! I have a question!! I know when the best time for an editor is, but what about a beta reader?? At what point should they look over a novel? I hate the idea of asking someone to read an incomplete mess but also don’t see a point in having something fully edited if it’s just going to be changed later? I do realize there is developmental editing, but that can be expensive if a novel needs more. Oh and cute caffeine necklace! Really goest with your coffee drinking!!!!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thank you, Jojo -- I'm so glad you like them! They're so fun to put together. You're exactly right - it's like working out a muscle and getting it stronger and stronger. That's a great question re: beta readers. I honestly think a lot of it depends on your relationship with the beta, and whether they've read for you before. With all of my betas, the first time I sent them a draft, I made it as clean as I could because I didn't want them to waste their time giving me feedback on issues I already knew about, if that makes sense. But I've had the same betas for years now, and I often send them rougher drafts (and read rough drafts for them) because what's most helpful for me is having a conversation about the book. I know I'm nowhere near done, but I need a sounding board - that's when I turn to betas. But I wouldn't do that with someone whose never read for me before! I hope that makes sense. :) Oh and thank you! I lost that necklace for YEAR and just found it the other day, I was so happy!

[@edweirdworld1249]

I call my first draft a zero draft, and just letting it pour out of my brain is exactly how I would describe it. I don't actually do this, but Alexa Donne once suggested to write your first draft in comic sans--or any font so ugly you couldn't go back and read while you were still working--and I try to at least keep that in mind. I think a common thread amongst a lot of writers I've met, myself included, is that in a lot of ways we are seeking permission to write when really we don't need it. We just need to write.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

whaaaaat I've never tried the ugly font thing, what a great trick!! You're so right - who are we asking for permission, anyway?? Brains are so weird.

[@peterreece2340]

Gosh, your eyes are very beautiful, Michelle.

[@brittanyg7700]

I've been discovering the fact that the writing process is different for every book. It's so hard to figure out the process though for each story/book. XD And also push through physical/mental health difficulties

[@Terminator550]

Great advice!

[@dontjayjayme]

I like this a lot. Thank you.

[@evitanigamimaerd8790]

This is super helpful, thanks!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

You're very welcome! Thanks for watching! :)

[@allisonblackwood2136]

Michelle (coincidentally, that's my sister's name), I am so confused right now. I've been working on a novel for a couple years and I've basically totally changed the main plot into something that I think I could more 'easily' write (because of your question about what intimidates me the most). But after the last part of your video about ranking theme, plot, etc and just writing where I think my strength is, I feel like I want to go back to the original idea because that's the one that really lights the fire. I'm just scared that if I run with the original, then when it comes to writing my weakness parts, it just really won't be good enough. Like I said, I'm so confused.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Hi Allison!! I understand exactly what you're going through. I struggled with those questions on several of my books. It sounds like the original idea is the one you need to run with! Fear is a huge part of it - especially if this is your first novel. And I think something that's really important is to just accept that there will be parts of the draft that aren't as good as you like - but that's what revising is for! You're going to improve so much as a writer simply by finishing that draft that you'll probably surprise yourself with your revising skills once you get to that stage. I hope that helps!!

[@VahdaMage]

I am more of a panster plotter. I need a direction to go, but with room to discover things as i go. Ive been having a hard time finding where to take the story

[@Lvxurian]

I got a question, you may be busy but If I got Theme, Character arc, plot, world building, voice (Greatest to least) how would I start writing that? To get all the Theme, Arcs, etc don't I have to have dialogue and stuff, so you want me to just not put that much work into what I am bad as in which my case is Dialogue and world building? Another question, I am making each chapter 12,000 words (27,000 left to spare so I can add extra stuff for those big introspective moments) long for 19 chapters do I need to reach that threshold or even need to come close to the amount needed?

[@Anna-B]

So, I have this character, and she dreams about the lives of people she knows. Classmates, her boss, etc. I love this character, but I can’t think of a conflict that isn’t the basic, “bad guy doesn’t like your parents and you need to save the world with your super power!” Thoughts?

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Hi Anna! That sounds like an awesome premise. And hey, there's nothing wrong with that conflict at all -- there's a reason we see it so often in books and movies. :) "Save the world and confront the bad guy" is a great external want. It sounds like what you need to do is figure out this character's internal want, or her need. This might be something she's not even aware of yet (and that's why authors are often unaware of it in the beginning, too!). She dreams about other peoples' lives...that's a really cool power, and I'm wondering where it stems from. Is she lacking something in her own life? Love? Acceptance? A sense of purpose? When you picture this character at the end of your story, aside from defeating the bad guy, how do you see her being transformed from where she is at the start of the book?

[@Anna-B]

Michelle Schusterman thanks so much, this gives me a lot to think about

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

@@Anna-B You're welcome! Keep me posted on your progress! :)

[@jennglow4647]

Cool 😀

[@kristinehartgen4027]

Is it still a first draft when you’re just starting all over again for the 7th time? 😅