While the other article about first draft errors was more on the side of getting to the finish line, this one is about actual writing techniques. What are some common problems in the actual writing of first drafts to watch out for?
This isn't a "write a perfect first draft and never have to revise" article, but more about knowing what to look for when you start revisions and some tricks to fix them.
The first is one that I've talked about before and I will continue talking about probably my whole career:
Telling. (You can find my article on how to show more here.)
One of the easiest ways to get words on the page is to tell. It's a simple note or reminder of what's important in the scene at the time of writing, but it frequently means that things like feeling, setting, grounding, etc. are left out. For the one who's written it, it's not a big deal. Most of the time we can picture the whole scene in our heads anyways. But that's why CPs and Beta Readers are so important. They can pick out those places.
If you're not ready to share your work, that's totally fine. I recommend looking for places in your story that feel like they're moving too fast. Or for scenes that you just can't picture. Or for moments when you can't really feel what your character is feeling. These are great indications that there needs to be more description or vivid wording.
Diving into the 5 senses is a super easy way to transition telling into showing. Once we can really feel, taste, touch, etc. what something is to your character, we'll be more immersed in the overarching story.
Warbling character arcs.
Sometimes, I know exactly how I'm going to write a character from start to finish. They have an easy goal to follow and a nicely curved arc to get them to that place. But sometimes I don't. That results in a very shaky character that feels flimsy and unrelatable. In order to get them on the page, there's no problem with this, but it does need some reworking in the revision stages.
Spending time with the characters will help to iron out wants and goals. If you still don't have a good grip on them by the end of the book, you can try writing them into scenes vastly different from your book to gauge their reactions, put them through a personality test, interview them, etc. It can sound a little strange, but anything that gets you thinking about how they'll respond to various situations will help to strengthen the idea of them.
Then it's just a matter of altering responses to situations in your own book to fit those goals.
I heard someone say once that it helps to work backwards. Figure out where you want your character to be by the time the book ends, and then start them in a place that is the opposite. That gives room for growth and transformation.
I've also found it useful in my own writing to give them a simple quirk or habit that's easily relatable. Something like loving pork dumplings, always getting up to watch the sunrise, unable to resist buying a new teacup if they pass one. This doesn't specifically help with character arc, but it does make the characters feel more lived in.
Shallow settings.
Most of this will revert back to showing vs. telling (areas where the setting just isn't described enough), but there is a small overlap where sometimes settings just aren't fully realized while drafting. I've written scenes where I'll only record the dialogue between characters and then go back to add in emotion, reaction, setting, etc. In those moments, I like to look at where they could be. What would be the most expected setting? What would bring the most tension?
Simply changing the setting can up the tension tenfold. Characters are having a break up argument in the living room at home? Put them in the middle of a crowded park. Fist fight in a dark alley? Move it to a rooftop in the rain.
Even if you're only getting people to read specific scenes for grounding, it's super helpful to get new eyes on it. They can tell you if you've been clear enough, deep enough, vivid enough. But if not, try to picture the whole setting based only on your words. Look at what's on the page, push any other thoughts from your mind, and see if you can picture the whole surrounding with all your senses.
Plot holes.
There is no easy fix for this one, unfortunately. Wouldn't that be nice? But there are ways to revise on your own to fix some of them.
I like to do a read after a few weeks of letting it rest solely for consistency. There will always be things that I miss--or just don't even think of because I know them without being told--but I can catch the majority. Doing a read for consistency alone gets your brain thinking about possible solutions and where your story might be lagging.
When you find an area that you'd like to fix, read through that section a few times. Note the details that are mandatory. What does the reader need to know going forward? Focus on the important parts, and see if there is anything bogging those pieces down. Is there too much backstory? Is it in the wrong spot?
Boil each section down to its bones and then build it back up. How do these sections impact the overall story? What do we learn about the characters/their relationships? How is the story moved forward from these scenes? If they weren't there, would something be missing?
Pacing.
Again, this can be tied to showing vs. telling. When things are told, it can feel like the story is moving too quickly. We don't get a feel for the senses or why things should be impacting us in certain ways. But it can also be separate.
A lot of writers will get out the note cards here. Write down every chapter/scene on a card and place it on a board where things can be easily moved around. Now you have an overarching view of your story from start to finish. Where does each scene fit and how do they work together? Do you have four slow chapters without any action/tension back-to-back? Is it high octane from beginning to end?
Part of what makes a good story is the constant elastic band of speeding up and slowing down. Have a high-action scene followed by a slower, reflective scene. This kind of pacing gives the reader a chance to catch their breath and process everything that's going on. Same with the characters. Rarely do we jump from one thing to the next without taking at least a short amount of time to sit and think about the things that are happening to us (unless it's a coping mechanism but that's a character note).
You want your story to build toward the climax, but to have these juxtapositions of fast and slow interlaced throughout.
These "errors" are not simply relegated to a first draft. I've come across these in multiple stages of drafting, but when I find them, I know how to handle it.
Revising can be overwhelming and stressful. Just take it one solution at a time. What are the things you know how to fix? Do you like to start with the big things or the little things? Pick one, just one, and start with that. Even if it's just changing the names of a character or place. With each thing you check off the list, your brain will be clearer to tackle the other hitches.
Happy writing,
Erin
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