The Hardest Part of Writing
Here's a secret most writers won't tell you: writing the first draft is the hardest part. Not editing. Not querying agents. Not handling rejection. The simple act of getting words on a blank page, day after day, until you have something resembling a complete story.
Most people who say they want to write a novel never finish a first draft. The ones who do? They've figured out how to survive the messy middle, silence the inner critic, and push through to "The End."
The Golden Rule: Done is Better Than Perfect
Your first draft is not supposed to be good. It's supposed to exist.
Think of it as raw material. A sculptor doesn't start with a finished statue—they start with a block of marble. Your first draft is that block. It contains the story, but it needs to be shaped, refined, and polished.
"The first draft is just you telling yourself the story."— Terry Pratchett
Before You Start
Know Your Ending
Even if you're a pantser, having a vague sense of your ending helps. It's hard to make progress when you don't know where you're going. Your ending might change—that's fine—but having a destination keeps you moving forward.
Set Up Your Tools
Choose your writing software and get comfortable with it before you start. Set up your Story Bible with character notes, location details, and plot points. Having everything organized reduces friction when you sit down to write.
Set a Daily Goal
Whether it's 500 words, 1,000 words, or simply 30 minutes of writing, set a goal you can hit consistently. Ambitious but achievable. Track your progress— watching your word count grow is surprisingly motivating.
Surviving the First Week
The first week is often the easiest. You're excited about your idea, your characters are fresh, and possibilities seem endless. Use this energy. Write as much as you can while motivation is high.
First Week Tips
- •Build a buffer by writing more than your daily goal
- •Resist the urge to go back and edit what you've written
- •Keep notes about things to fix later, but don't fix them now
- •Establish your writing routine—same time, same place if possible
The Messy Middle
Around the 20-30% mark, something happens. The initial excitement fades. The end seems impossibly far away. You start to notice all the problems with your story. You think about that other, shinier idea...
This is where most first drafts die. Here's how to survive:
Lower Your Standards
Seriously. Give yourself permission to write badly. Write [THIS SCENE SUCKS FIX LATER] and move on. The goal is forward progress, not beautiful prose. You can fix ugly sentences in revision. You can't fix a blank page.
Skip Ahead
Stuck on a scene? Skip it. Write a scene you're excited about instead. Your novel doesn't have to be written in order. Jump to the climax, write a flashback, draft a conversation you've been hearing in your head.
Add Conflict
If your middle feels saggy, throw a problem at your characters. An unexpected complication, a betrayal, a disaster. Conflict creates energy. When in doubt, make things worse for your protagonist.
Ignore That Shiny New Idea
New ideas always seem better than the one you're struggling with. That's because they're untested by reality. Write down the new idea for later, then return to your current project. Finish what you start.
Silencing the Inner Critic
That voice telling you everything you write is garbage? It's lying. Well, partially. Your first draft probably isn't great—but that's normal and expected. The inner critic has a job (quality control), but not during the first draft.
Separate Writing and Editing
These are different skills using different parts of your brain. When you're writing, create. When you're editing, criticize. Don't let them happen at the same time.
Remember Your Heroes
Every book you love started as a messy first draft. Your favorite author wrote terrible sentences that got cut. They pushed through doubt and fear. You can too.
Use Placeholders
Can't think of the perfect word? Write [WORD] and move on. Can't describe the setting? Write [DESCRIBE ROOM] and continue. Placeholders let you maintain momentum without getting stuck on details.
Practical Techniques
The Hemingway Trick
Stop writing mid-sentence, when you know what comes next. Tomorrow, you'll have an easy place to start instead of facing the terror of the blank page.
Word Sprints
Set a timer for 15-25 minutes. Write without stopping until it goes off. No editing, no pausing, no second-guessing. Quantity over quality. You can fix it later.
The Two-Drink Rule
Not literally (though no judgment). The idea is to write in a slightly relaxed, uncritical state—creative mode rather than analytical mode. Some writers use music, meditation, or freewriting warmups to get there.
Dictation
Speaking is faster than typing. Some writers dictate their first drafts, speaking the story aloud and transcribing later. It can feel strange at first but often produces more natural-sounding prose.
The Final Push
When you can see the ending, a strange thing happens. The finish line is in sight, but you might feel yourself slowing down. Some writers fear finishing. Others burn out just before the end.
Tips for the Home Stretch
- •Increase your daily goal if you have momentum
- •Resist the urge to start revising before you're done
- •Write the ending even if it's not perfect—you can fix it later
- •Celebrate hitting milestones (75%, 90%, 95%...)
After "The End"
You did it. You wrote a complete first draft. Take a moment to appreciate what you've accomplished. Most aspiring writers never get here.
Now: step away. Don't look at it for at least two weeks, preferably longer. You need distance before you can see your work clearly. When you return, you'll read it with fresh eyes and begin the real work of revision.
But that's a challenge for another day. Today, you finished a first draft. You're a writer.
