By now you’ve had time to finish your first 100 words on your book. According to statistics, you’re ahead of the curve by now. Some of the greatest books never written are just that because the would-be author never started. But you are no longer one of those frustrated would-be writers. You’ve taken that all important first step…..First you wrote ten starting lines….then you chose your favorite and wrote the first 100 words of that story. Take a moment and pat yourself on the back….Good Job!
NOW….get back to work.
Your assignment for today is another simple step toward getting the masterpiece in your head down on paper – or your hard drive… It’s very simple. Today you will write 250 words and add them to the 100 you wrote during your last session. This is probably the largest assignment you’ll face for a while, so turn off all the distractions, including your phone, and concentrate…you can probably do this in just a little while.
If you’re one of the lucky picture book writers, you may be very close to the end of this story…you may, in fact, be finished with the original draft. If your story will become a novel or non-fiction book you are probably just beginning, but like I said before, getting started is 90 percent of the battle for the beginning writer.
On a personal note, you may want to create a folder on your computer or in a file drawer in which to keep this and other first drafts. I like to keep a copy of that first run through and later compare it to the final draft to see how the two compare. I love to see how a story develops over time, but it also creates a check point against which I can measure the final draft to make sure every part of the story remains true to the idea that was born on that first day.
Be sure to date this draft… By dating it you give yourself a time line that begins today…when you date it you will create a gentle pressure that will keep you going toward the eventual publication of this fantastic story. If you date it, file it, and never do anything else with it, the date at the bottom of the draft will remind you to GET BUSY!
At the end of today’s assignment you will have 350 words written. Don’t try to do a lot of rewrites…revise as you write to tell the story, but don’t get bogged down trying to achieve perfection. Today is still about getting your draft roughed out.
Leave a brief comment (don’t let it keep you from working on your story) and let everyone know how you’re doing, what struggles you’re having, or how inspired you are to see your story finally beginning to take shape….
I can’t wait to hear from all of you about how great getting started feels!
Janet Sikes Anderson
Do The Write Thing Publishing's Weblog 