During the very first of the Tea Party Chronicles (a virtual writing salon), we talked about the magical mayhem of working on the rough draft of a story. Everyone was full of helpful advice, and I was delighted to share some of the things that have been working for me, too. Some of the highlights were:
- knowing your first and last lines before starting the rough draft
- some of us write better with music in the background, some without
- a fun discussion about accuracy in historical fiction
- the importance of character development, in everything from plotting to worldbuilding
We also explored how writing a rough draft is like sculpting from clay or painting on a canvas. We wouldn't expect perfection or even to see the finished image in our art straightaway, yet somehow we put pressure on ourselves if our rough draft doesn't feel up to snuff. Yikes!
There are a few more nuggets I’d love to share with you, so pull up a chair and let’s catch up!