First Drafts – pulling them apart and putting them back together

Back in February this year, I was very excited to report that I had just finished Novel Number 6 – that is to say, I had finished writing a first draft of Novel Number 6. It’s a great feeling to know that the novel I had in my head now actually exists in the world, to see all my work and effort emerge as a tangible creation. However, the aim of writing a novel is to let other people read it, and there’s no way I would let anyone read this novel right now!

And that’s fine, because that’s what a first draft should be. I will requote the advice that author Neil Gaiman wrote about first drafts;

“Don’t obsess over your first draft…. No one is ever going to see your first draft. Nobody cares about your first draft…. For now, just get the words out. Get the story down however you can get it down, then fix it.”

A first draft reminds me of a badly made cushion. The stitching is rather shoddy, leaving loose seams and gaping holes. The stuffing is uneven; some of it is too tightly packed, whereas in other places it is too thin or non-existent. Some of the stuffing might be escaping through the holes, or it might even be the wrong kind of stuffing completely, poking out obtrusively. Overall, the shape and integrity of the cushion is poor and flimsy. It might have the potential to be the loveliest, comfiest cushion in the world, but until it has been fixed, you wouldn’t want it on your sofa.  

Luckily, I’ve always quite enjoyed fixing those messy, inadequate cushions. And that’s what I’ve embarked on now with Novel Number 6. I mentioned in my last post that I had begun rereading the first draft after letting it hibernate for a few months. As I read, I was making notes, planning potential changes as I went along. They come under three different categories. There is going to be some structural change – a slight reordering of events to tighten up the pace and flow of the narrative. Then, there are going to be some brand-new scenes added, to develop relevant themes and expand on certain ideas. Finally – and this is probably the most important thing – there will be big cuts of all the lovely but irrelevant waffle. First drafts are full of waffle. Sometimes it gets you through those tricky moments of not knowing how to reach the next scene, or it has been used to build back story or develop characters. However, in the finished novel, it doesn’t always add to the plot. That’s when you have to be ruthless. If it isn’t important to moving the plot forward, it has to go. If that extra backstory and character development was useful, it will probably fit in somewhere else, as part of the planned new scenes. If not, then it’s cut. Save the waffles for breakfast – novels are better off without it.

That’s where I’m at now. The rereading and note-making has led to a chapter-by-chapter plan. I have reduced the novel from 31 chapters to 25, and I am fairly confident that I know exactly what is happening in every chapter. In fact, I am so confident that I have set myself an ambitious target – to produce one chapter per week, starting now, with the aim of finishing at the beginning of March 2024. Obviously, this is quite a big task to fit in around my work and family routines, and there is the small matter of Christmas in the middle. However, while some chapters will need a lot of work, others will require much less, so I’m hoping it will balance out. Plus, working in a school gives me the bonus of holidays, so if I’m falling behind, I can play catch up in my time off. Well, that’s the plan, anyway. 

Hmm, now I see this written down, it seems like a massive target – possibly too massive. Maybe the timeframe is unrealistic, or I’m over-estimating my motivation to find extra hours in a week for writing. However, making it public is a good incentive to persevere. It’s worked for me before, so it could work again. And if I don’t reach the target by the March deadline, I won’t have lost anything. But if do, I will be one step closer to my ultimate aim, which is bringing my novel, and the characters in it, to the eyes of the world. And there are some young people that I’m really hoping will read it before they get too old!

So. I’ve got a chapter-by-chapter plan to follow. I’ve created a schedule. I’ve written this post about what I’m going to make it official. No more wittering. I’ve got to rewrite Chapter 1 by 17^th September!