Laura Kane: Writing the First Draft

I'll never forget the day I started writing my first novel. I was so excited, so full of ideas, but also so terrified. I had no idea where to start, or how to turn all those ideas into a coherent story.

As I was staring at a blank computer screen, I heard a voice on the radio telling me that the first step to writing the first draft of a novel is to get it all out. Write anything and everything that comes to mind, don't worry about it being perfect, and don't stop until you have 50,000 words.

So I did. I wrote about anything and everything, from the main character's backstory to the setting of the story to the plot twists. I didn't worry about it being perfect, or whether it made sense, or even if it was in the right order. I just wrote, and wrote, and wrote.

And you know what? It was liberating. Once I got started, the words just flowed out of me. I wrote about things I never thought I would write about, and I created characters I never thought I would create. It was like a dam had burst, and all the creativity that had been pent up inside me for so long was finally pouring out.

By the time I reached 50,000 words, I had a first draft of a novel.

Plotting, structure, and character development are all important, but they can also be daunting. Especially if you're in the middle of a first draft.

That's why I like to think of the first draft as a vomit draft. It's the place where you can get all your ideas out on paper (or on the screen), without worrying about making it perfect. It's the place where you can experiment, and make mistakes, and find your voice.

Once you have a vomit draft, you can start to think about the other elements of your novel. You can start to plot and structure your story, develop your characters, and make sure that everything makes sense.

But the first step is always the same: Get it all out. Write anything and everything that comes to mind, don't worry about it being perfect, and don't stop until you have 50,000 words.

I'm not going to lie, writing the first draft of a novel is hard work.

But it's also one of the most rewarding things you can do as a writer.

So if you're thinking about writing a novel, don't be afraid to start writing. Just get it all out on paper (or on the screen), and see what happens.

Just remember, the first draft is just the beginning.

Once you have a first draft, you can start to revise and edit your work. You can make it better, stronger, and more polished.

But you can't revise and edit something that doesn't exist.

So don't be afraid to write a bad first draft.

Just write.