#Rough Drafts

Everything takes time. Everything takes effort. Why not put it toward doing something you love, even if it’s just for yourself and to be able to say you did it. Happy writing fellow writers 💜 Sincerely, A fellow writer

It’s a rite of passage, honestly.

Why these mess you up 👇🏻 (First, if we haven’t met, I’m Megan! I’m a writing coach and editor who teaches writers how to outline and write stronger novels. Follow for daily strategies 💛) Here’s why these derail your draft: 🔸Adding a character just to fix a plot hole— These characters are usually underdeveloped They show up out of the blue or “just in time” which makes your writing feel amateurish. Sometimes, these characters ARE mentioned earlier, but they only show up when the plot needs them too. Try to avoid that! 🔸Giving all your characters the same childhood trauma— Well for one, it doesn’t distinguish your characters from each other Two, it diminishes any trauma experienced by your MC or even another side character I see a lot of writers give their characters traumatic backstories to justify “flaws” but characters don’t all have to have lost a parent, been assaulted, or something else to be complex and interesting 🔸Switching POV too often— This is “head-hopping” When it’s unintention (which it usually is), it’s jarring for the reader And again, makes your writing seem amateurish Remember whose POV you’re writing in ;) 🔸Two different plot twists— This one is rarer, but something similar I see a lot is putting story events in the wrong place for instance, the big plot twist is in chapter four... You want to make sure you’re not giving things away too soon 🔸You give your MC your exact personality— This creates problems when you’re writing bc YOU know yourself really well which means you’re more likely to assume you’re putting enough character insight and development on the page When usually, you’re not Every time I’ve read a “boring” MC as an editor It’s bc they’re too much like the author — Follow @megan.maclaine for daily strategies to outline and write a stronger novel 💛

Will always be team revision over team drafting 😤 #debutauthor #writing #drafting

Do yourself a huge favor And track these types of things in your outline 🥴 Oh and follow @megan.maclaine for daily strategies to outline and write a stronger first draft 💛 (with a few giggles tossed in every now and then) #writingtips #fictionwritersofig #fictionwriting

here they are 👇 9 hobbies that genuinely sharpen your mind 1. Deep reading Not summaries. Not threads. Books that make you stay with ideas longer than is comfortable — and stretch your focus. 2. Writing to clarify thinking Not for posting. Journals, notes, rough drafts. Putting thoughts on paper so they become clearer. 3. Building a high-leverage skill Coding, design, editing, writing. Skills that compound over time instead of expiring. 4. Walking without stimulation No music. No podcasts. No phone. Just your thoughts and your surroundings. 5. Playing strategy-based games Chess, logic puzzles, long-term strategy games. Training foresight and decision-making. 6. Studying human behavior Psychology, observation, pattern recognition. Learning why people act the way they do. 7. Intentional movement Strength training or yoga. Using the body to sharpen the mind. 8. Practicing visual awareness Studying design, architecture, film, or art. Learning to notice structure, balance, and detail. 9. Teaching what you’re learning Explaining ideas to others — or even to yourself. Nothing tests understanding better. Intelligence isn’t built by consuming more. It’s built by practicing better habits consistently. #study #school #uni #student #universitylife

SHOUT-OUT ALERT! We want to give a huge shout-out to the original creator of the amazing reels we recently shared! @Writing with Dani We don't own any copyright to this content, and we appreciate the original owner for creating and sharing such awesome work! Thanks for inspiring us! Video: '#bookswelove #goodreads #readingaddict

Exactly 1 legal pad 😆😆😆 I'm what they call a plantster 🗓️/👖!!! But even so, the bulk of my planning comes AFTER draft 1. (Yep, even my storyboards are a post-draft 1 thing) Here's why... 🗺️ For me, draft 1 is for learning and exploring my story idea. So, all I really need prior to are some scribbled ideas and a general heading (hence the legal pad). 🗒️ But my pre-drafting notes are really just a hodge podge of: WHO I think my characters, WHAT I think they want/need, WHERE the story sorta kinda takes place, HOW that world works-ish, and WHY the story might matter (the theme), along with a very loosey goosey beat sheet (search Save the Cat) and some "rando cool stuff"... Tbh, it's mostly just arrows, thought bubbles, and pretty colors 😆 💻 Then I dive right in!! 😍 DRAFT 1 😍 ☝️Here's where I actually learn my who/what/where/when/why/how. Pre-writing, I generally don't feel like I really KNOW my characters yet, or SEE their world yet. And until I sit down and give them a voice and create those new spaces, I can't really wrestle with "getting it right." So, I get it wrong. 📖 Draft 1 is usually a HOT MESS. But that's okay, bc along the way I usually figure out what my story really needs. 🗓️ And that's when I go back to drawing board, make a storyboard, hack out a game plan, and eventually REWRITE a significantly cleaner draft 2. So, are you a planner?? A pantster?? Or something in between?? 🗓️👖🗓️👖🗓️👖 Happy almost weekend!! Xoxo Rain ☔

Writing is such a roller coaster of a ride! One moment I’ll have no confidence in myself and then I’ll read one incredible line of my draft and I’ll have all the confidence in the world! . . . #writingabook #writer #author #firstdraft #roughdraft #writerhumor #writinganovel #writerthings #writingmotivation #writinginspiration

I’m just at their beck and call at this point ✍️ #writingprompts #writingabook #fictionalcharacters #characters #authorproblems #writing #firstdraft #funny #relatable #author #writinghumor

Behind every good book, is the person who read the terrible first draft and caught all the plot holes or lack of detail.🫣😂 I hate writing first drafts. Specifically the first 20,000 words of a new book. I just keep telling myself to get some words down even if they don’t make sense and I’ll fill in the plot holes and inconsistencies later. When I start a new book, even though I’m working on my 17th, I’m reminded of how freaking hard it is to write a book. Every. Single. Time.

Come back tomorrow for 👉🏾 Part 2 I had a lot of misconceptions about what the first draft was supposed to be, from how it looked to the level of skill required to write it. I often psyched myself out even when I made good progress and got positive feedback. I’d find some—usually imposter syndrome related reason—to stop. In the last year as I rededicated myself to being a student and learning the craft of storytelling, writing and language I really started to understand how this whole writing thing works. 💡Just in the nature of drafting process., it became clear to me that the first draft was never meant to be perfect. 🤔So what was it for? 💫 If I could figure that out and focus on it, I could finish. And finishing was more important to me than anything. Learning that mattered and what didn’t at that stage of the game was crucial to my writing journey and the only way I was able to finish writing my first draft in two months. I hope these truths help you work on finishing your first draft, demystifying the process and empowering you as an author. 👉🏾 If this video inspired you and you’re ready to start your first draft journey I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU! A totally free Novel Guide that outlines exactly what you need to get started, just drop a 📚and I’ll send it to you. #writingtips #firstdraft #writingadvice #howtowriteabook #writersofinstagram