Building Block Drafting + End of Year Thoughts
Building Block Drafting: Draft with Intention and Lay a Strong Foundation
Don’t edit while drafting!
That’s a very commonly told piece of writing advice. And I get it—for new writers especially, the accomplishment of completing a draft, no matter how messy, can be an important first step. But over the years, I’ve realized that this idea just doesn’t serve me. I like to edit while drafting. I actually did it the very first time I wrote a novel and I still finished that novel in 3 months. I did it again with the next manuscript, the one that landed me my first agent.
And yet, in writing groups and workshops, people kept telling me I was doing it wrong. While authors often acknowledge that everyone has their own process, for some reason “don’t edit while drafting” is still often shared as a universal truism.
Initially, I was also told I was wrong for not outlining my stories first, aka what is known as pantsing or “writing by the seat of your pants”. But over time, the concept of pantsing has gained legitimacy, as big name authors like Stephen King and Soman Chomaini tell us this is how they work. Brandon Sanderson also added legitimacy to pantsing by giving it a more dignified name: Discovery Writing. (Actually, I don’t know if he’s the first person that used that term, but he uses it in his classes.)
Of course, I’ve gone to the other side since then, and I now vigorously outline my books. But I haven’t stopped editing as I draft.
Recently, on Threads (yes, I’m on Threads now) I brought this topic up and I was taken aback by how many people came out of the woodwork to share that they too edit as they go. I’d long thought I was in some 1% minority, but the sheer number of replies has convinced me there are a lot of us. For some reason we’ve been skulking in the shadows. Perhaps, again, because the process has not gained legitimacy. I want to change that. I think our process could be a valuable tool to new writers who have similar instincts when it comes to attacking their novel as we do.
Building Block Drafters
A common theme from a lot of us is that we want to build a strong foundation for our novels. So we spend time shoring up character arcs, plot, world-building, and voice.
Because this process works for so many of us, and because I think there are others out there who might want to try it, I thought it should have a name. I’ve dubbed us Building Block Drafters.
That has a nice ring of legitimacy to it, doesn’t it?
Even within the Building Block Drafting camp, I’m certain there’s a ton of variation in the way we approach drafting. I thought today I would share a bit of my personal process.
Write it badly first.
That’s a tip I’ve heard from those who want to complete their draft without stopping to edit, but the truth is I remind myself of this slogan all the time, too. I just apply to each new scene. Sometimes I feel truly intimidated to write a particular scene for whatever reason: it has a lot of moving parts or characters, it’s supposed to be funny and I’m worried it won’t be, it has a lot of action and I’m new to writing action scenes. It can be daunting, but I remind myself that it’s okay if the first version is bad.
Layer in characterization, plot, world-building, and voice elements as needed.
Then I take another look and shore up the writing. But I’m also very conscious that I’m not trying to make it perfect. I do want to move forward. My very first pass through might just be fixing up a few things here and there. But when I finish the chapter, I’ll go back and fill in more holes: adding oomph to the character arc, filling in plot holes, adding more description. And then when I finish about 5K words or 3 chapters, I’ll go back and do another pass, layering in more depth and detail. At 5K I might decide that some things I had put in my outline just aren’t working.
Re-outline as needed.
I often find that my original ideas in my outline were simplistic and as I add nuance to the story while writing it, I might end up changing the big things too. I might change my main character’s motivation or goal because I realize as I write it that it’s not working. Maybe the stakes aren’t high enough. Maybe the world-building doesn’t totally add up. Maybe I came up with a cool idea that fits like a perfect puzzle piece, enhancing the story. I’ll re-outline the story.
Forward progress is still important.
When it comes to new ideas, you have to be careful. Are you just chasing after a new shiny gem, or does the idea truly make your story better? Again, even as I go back and edit, I’m always profoundly aware that I want to make forward progress.
So I’ll write the next 5k words, and do a few passes on those. I’ll assess the story again, poking and prodding for things I still think can be stronger, making sure I’m properly building the story up. I’ll re-outline again, if I need to.
It’s not about making it pretty, it’s about capturing voice.
People from the no-edits camp think that it’s a waste of time to try to write “pretty” sentences as if that’s frivolous. But in the first 10k words, it’s very important for me to have found the character’s voice. Is this story going to have long, poetic sentences? Will it be sharp and sarcastic? Will it be playful and funny? This will set the tone for the rest of the story. Again, it’s not about getting things perfect, it’s about laying the foundations.
Spend more time at the beginning; start speeding up as you’ve grown confident in the foundations.
For a full-length novel, I spend a lot of time on those first 10k words, but eventually I’ll feel like I know what I’m going for, and then I might write the next 10k much faster. I’ll still go back and edit and shore things up, but there won’t be as many things I need to shore up because hopefully I have a strong sense of where I’m going.
I have in the past, on deadline, from 20k in, tried to “fast draft” another 20k. That means I’m not doing as much scene-by-scene editing (though usually still a bit). But once I’ve reached 40k, I’ll go back and clean things up and make sure that first 40k is strong. And then I’ll rinse and repeat for the next 20k, and then the next, until I’m done.
“The End” isn’t the end of revisions.
By the time, I hit “The End” of the novel, my beginning is very polished because of the many passes it has gone through. The last 20k will naturally be rough. That’s okay. I might then spend quite a lot of time working on editing the middle and end, until the novel feels even and polished all the way through. Pacing is always my nemesis so I’ll work hard on that, too. I will have more edits from my editors, but hopefully by that point I’ve got a strong draft and the edits aren’t too scary.
And that in a nutshell is how I write a novel. It’s how I’ve eventually done every novel I’ve ever written actually—even the one where I tried finishing a full draft first. Because that draft was just so off course that I rewrote the whole thing—and in the second draft, I edited as I went. I realized also that first draft just hadn’t helped me, that it had in fact been a waste of time. I realize for some people the first draft is like a really long outline or sketch, but for me the fundamentals changed too much. I can save time by editing as I go.
Balance is key.
For me, Building Block Drafting is all about balance. It’s not about perfection, and it’s not ignoring the need for forward momentum. It’s just realizing that proceeding a certain pace—slower at the beginning—is what works well for me. It also helps keep me excited for the project because I feel more confident that I have something strong.
Take time to develop your own process.
In conclusion, if you’re a writer, however you draft is not “wrong.” You do you. It may take ages to even figure out what the best process for you is. That’s okay. Don’t be afraid to experiment! I’m rooting for you & wishing you a very happy and productive road to “The End.”
End of Year Thoughts
As the year winds down, I’ve realized that I’m burnt out. Since October 2020, I’ve been working almost nonstop because in a short period of time, I had 5 contracted books to write and edit. For me, when it rained, it really poured, and I was so excited to have both the Singh sisters duology and my STEM chapter book series coming out. But it was one deadline after another, and I often worked weekends and holidays to hit them. (My husband took my kid on lots of camping and fishing trips, which was a great help!)
This year, the work for my contracted books finished up. How strange! I still had promotional stuff to do: 3 books released (Sejal Sinha Battles Superstorms, Sejal Sinha Swims with Sea Dragons, and Wild Wishes and Windswept Kisses) and in January Sejal Sinha Dives for Diamonds on Neptune will be out. But despite all the excitement of the releases, I was also anxiously working on new projects, hoping to get those next contracts.
And I realized suddenly that I was rushing things. How can I put my all into these new projects when I’m so exhausted? So I’m hoping a few weeks of reading and relaxing and spending time with family will help bring that special spark back into my projects. A few days of reading books have already restored me so much! On that note, if you have recommendations for books with gorgeous, lyrical prose, let me know; I’m looking to get lost in dreamy words.
(Also, please wish me luck in 2024 as I do the scary thing of going back on submission.)
I hope you have a lovely and warm rest of the year! And hey, if you need gift ideas, you know I’ve got books out in the world, just waiting for readers hungry for brown and queer joy. Read them with a cup of your favorite warm drink. Perhaps a delicata squash + lavender cappuccino? IYKYK :)