Zoeslibrary
Zoeslibrary asked Robin Stevens:

Hi Robin! I'm Zoe from the Mixed Up Files Podcast:), I have a question about writing. How much do you usually change the first and second draft, and do you edit the first one while writing? Also, how do you write the parts before the murder? I'm working on a murder mystery , and I write the investigation part pretty easily, I keep getting stuck on the beginning( I'm rewriting it now) Thanks!?

Robin Stevens I think if you're finding yourself uninterested in the bit before the murder, you can skip all that part! You can always go back to it in flashbacks - but it's good to notice where you are getting bored, because readers will be as well!

When I'm writing a first draft I don't really go back as I write, otherwise I get caught up in editing and don't move forward. It's always best to get the story out and then edit it! I've just finished the first draft of the new book, and once I've let it sit for a while I'll go back and do big edits on it, changing maybe a third of all the words in it!

Good luck with your writing, and thanks again for the great interview last month!

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