Tips for completing the first draft
She had some great tips that I wanted to pass along.
Part of Tricia’s process is to realize she doesn’t need to know everything about the book before she starts writing. Whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, she knows going into it that she’s not going to feel as confident as she’d like, and that’s OK.
For fiction, Tricia’s just fine with having a world and a character who wants something more than anything; and that’s enough. Start with that. Fill up that blank screen with some words, doesn’t matter what those words are because you can change them later. For non-fiction, Tricia starts by dumping everything she knows and thinks about a subject.
If you want to write a book on a particular subject, chances are you know a ton about it already. Don’t worry about organization. Just get it all out there.
Tricia has found that she is often amazed at what’s already inside her.
Once the words start coming out, they make more and more sense as she moves forward. She used to spend a lot more time defining plots, determining details, doing tons of research, but found a lot of the stuff she started with didn’t make it into the final book anyway. So why worry about getting it right the first time?
There is a time for research, especially when you don’t intrinsically know enough about a subject to write authoritatively on it, but a lot of authors spend too much time preparing before getting started.
Once everything you know is in your computer or written on paper, then you can begin the process of organizing, throwing out, and cleaning up. Move stuff around, fill in holes, learn to love the rewriting process. It’s OK to write out of order. For some people, it’s the only way they’ll get a book done. It’s a lot easier to move chapters of text around than to organize empty sheets of paper.
One word of caution.
With a writing style like Tricia’s, you have to make sure you don’t become attached to your own words. Get used to using your delete key. Be OK with changing your story; the beginning, middle or end. Make every sentence, every chapter, every thought and every character fight for their existence. If they aren’t essential, take them out.
This process has helped Tricia write dozens of books, but every writer is unique. I’d love to know what works for you. Share your successes and failures and dreams in the comments below. Maybe someone reading this article will be inspired by you.
About Tricia Goyer
Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of six, grandmother of two, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites.
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