Plotting Your Book: Story Drafting

Here it is a detailed breakdown of how to draft your novel in phases. If you completed your book planning checklist, you are ready to start with your drafting.

Pre-drafting

Everything discussed in A Complete Guide for Planning and Drafting your Book: ideation, plot arcs and scenes.

• Time goal: 2 weeks

Draft Zero

This draft is not so much writing as it is planning. Don’t use the voice that you plan on using, but rather a direct, instructional voice in present tense. Don’t use descriptions and be minimal with the language. Cover all the scenes you planned earlier but aim for just 200 to 500 words per scene.

• Time goal: 1 week
• Daily goal: 2,000 words
• Total goal: 10,000 words

Draft One

This is the scaffolding of your story. Write as past as you can, never edit, never go back. The only way is forward. Don’t worry about the style. This draft will be completely rewritten

This is your NaNoWriMo draft if you are into that kind of thing.

• Time goal: 4 weeks
• Daily goal: 2,500 words
• Total goal: 50,000 words

Draft Two

First draft that you will write as if it was final. It just won’t be.

• Time goal: 4 weeks

Draft Three

This is a pretty good draft. You are now including all revisions and additions from your previous draft, as well as focusing more on subplots, symbolism, themes, etc.

• Time goal: 4 weeks

Final Draft

This is it. This is the time to do any minor adjustments, pay attention to detail and incorporate any last pieces of feedback.

• Time goal: 2 weeks