How I Wrote My First Draft in 25 Weeks

How I wrote my first draft in 25 weeks 

 

You may have heard this piece of advice before: Writers Must Write Every Day! 

But if you're like me, that advice is no help. I don't write every day, and I don't think it's necessary to. 

Everyone is different, and how we write will be different. Difference is fine. 

Persistence is key! 

This is how I wrote my first draft in 25 weeks (under six months). 

I didn't write every day, far from it. But I did try to write every week until I was done. 

My first draft was 100,000 words. This means that I averaged around four thousand words per week. That's about two chapters, for me. And it doesn't seem like a huge amount, now I look back on it.

One or two chapters a week is doable.

There were days when I thought I'd never finish the first draft, but I kept writing one chapter at a time. Just one chapter.

Bite-size amounts.

Those words all count toward the end goal!  

This is my method: When I sit down to write, I aim to write a full chapter, or as close as I can get to it. I did this once or twice a week, persistently, for twenty-five weeks.

It all adds up quickly! 

And, having those days off in between writing was just as important. My brain needs time to decompress, and to flesh things out. I tend to imagine my chapter before writing it, so having 'thinking days' in between writing days is important to my writing process. 

Find what works for you. 

Remember: persistence is the key! 

 

(Watch this space for news on my first draft, which is currently in the submissions process!) 

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