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How do you write first drafts? Do you outline first and then write the story following that outline? What if outlining just isn’t your thing? In this episode, you’ll learn a different approach to writing first drafts. And it doesn’t require starting with an outline.

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Episode at a glance:

 

[02:22] The problem with outlines.

Hear where writers go wrong with outlining, and.why even the most detailed outline doesn’t guarantee a finished story, let alone a compelling one.

[04:11] Discovery Drafts

Let go of this idea that your first draft is where you write a story from start to finish. That your first draft needs to all fall into place as you go.

Learn the purpose of your first draft,and why I recommend relinquishing expectations of structure, genre, or plot as you write your first draft.

[07:09] Learn the theory of writing islands. With this approach, you’re writing moments or scenes that have an emotional charge for you.  This means writing scene fragments or even having huge gaps in your plot. You can write scenes to connect those islands later. For now, follow your instincts.

[09:34] What if you get stuck during this discovery phase? Learn my tried and true technique of getting unstuck. And this works at any stage of the writing process.

[17:10] Now it’s time to outline what you generated in your first draft. This isn’t your final outline. You’re just getting your arms around what you wrote in your discovery draft.  I’ll tell you what to look for so you can revise this outline to be more fluid, structured, and cohesive.

[20:21] Now it’s time to revise your initial outline. You’ll take out all the repetitive,  mundane, extraneous actions, and you’re going to create an outline that’s more cohesive. An outline with significant turning points, rising stakes, consequences, cause and effect.

So you’re looking for the shape, and you’re adjusting that shape into a tighter, more compelling outline. 

Click Here to Listen

Also listen to:

Episode 69: How to Create Plot Continuity With Character Thought

 

 

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