Tag: FirstDraft

First Edge—Starting Your Writing Journey in the New Year

FIRST EDGE - WEDNESDAYS
Welcome to First Edge, my Wednesday focus on beginning novelists. Here you'll find practical guidance, encouragement, and permission to start your writing journey. Whether you're thinking about writing or ready to begin, First Edge offers the support you need to take your first steps.

Merry Christmas!

So you want to write a novel in 2025. That dream has been waiting, hasn’t it? Waiting while you read craft books, watched writing videos, followed author blogs. Waiting while you thought about characters, imagined scenes, planned someday. Today, let’s turn someday into Day One.

Your Permission Slip

Dear Writer,

You have permission to:

  • Write badly
  • Start in the middle
  • Not know the ending
  • Change your mind
  • Make mistakes
  • Begin again
  • Call yourself a writer

Signed,
A Fellow Beginner

Your First Steps

  1. Choose Your Starting Point
  • A character who won’t leave you alone
  • A scene you can’t stop thinking about
  • A question you need to explore
  • A story that demands telling
  1. Create Your Space
  • A corner desk
  • A favorite chair
  • A morning coffee shop
  • A quiet library nook
  1. Set Your Schedule
  • Early morning words
  • Lunch break paragraphs
  • Evening chapters
  • Weekend writing

Simple Truths for Beginners

  • All first drafts are messy
  • Every published author started exactly where you are
  • Your voice matters because it’s yours
  • There’s no single “right” way to write
  • You learn by doing

Your Writing Foundation

Start with:

  • One dedicated writing hour
  • One notebook or document
  • One story idea
  • One commitment to yourself

Build from there.

Practical First Week Plan

Day 1: Write character notes
Day 2: Sketch a scene
Day 3: Explore setting
Day 4: Draft dialogue
Day 5: Connect ideas
Day 6: Review and plan
Day 7: Begin your story

When Doubt Creeps In

Remember:

  • Every writer starts as a beginner
  • Perfect is the enemy of written
  • Progress beats perfection
  • Small steps create novels
  • Today is always the right day to start

Moving Forward

Your novel begins with one word, then another. It grows sentence by sentence, scene by scene. The only magic is in starting, in putting words on the page, in giving yourself permission to begin.

2025 is your year to write. Not because you’re ready—no one ever feels completely ready. But because your story matters, and it’s time to tell it.

What will you write first?

Use the Contact form to schedule a phone call or a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.

Sharpening the Edge—Mid-Book Crisis: Wrestling with Chapter 15’s Plot Snarl

SHARPENING THE EDGE - MONDAYS
Welcome to Sharpening the Edge, my Monday focus on real-time novel writing. Here you'll find insights from my current work-in-progress, sharing challenges, breakthroughs, and solutions as they happen. Whether you're in the midst of your novel or planning to start, these posts offer practical experience from the writing desk.

In The Boaz Student, Chapter 15 finds Bret Johnson at a crucial turning point. After challenging the mandatory prayer at a school assembly, he faces escalating isolation. The plot threads have tangled: his former youth group friends’ increasing hostility, a surprising ally in his skeptic philosophy club, and mounting pressure from both faculty and family.

## The Current Snarl

– Bret’s private doubts becoming public stands

– The philosophy club’s growing influence vs. administrative resistance

– Former best friend Marcus’s betrayal of confidence

– Family dinner scene that threatens to expose everything

## Working Through It

1. Mapped core conflict: Authentic self vs. Community acceptance

2. Listed consequences: Social isolation, family tension, academic impact

3. Identified subplot connections: Other questioning students

4. Connected to theme: Cost of intellectual honesty

## Today’s Breakthrough

While outlining possible paths, I realized Bret’s crisis parallels his younger sister’s growing curiosity about his changes. Both must navigate between comfortable acceptance and uncomfortable questions. This parallel strengthens the theme and clarifies the plot direction.

## Next Steps

1. Revise confrontation with Marcus

2. Strengthen sister’s subplot

3. Layer in consequences of assembly protest

4. Build tension toward family Christmas dinner

Sometimes plot snarls reveal deeper story truths. What looked like a structural problem was actually a character development opportunity.

Progress today: 847 words

Cumulative draft: 42,316 words

Use the Contact form to schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.

First Edge—Permission to Write Imperfectly During the Holidays

FIRST EDGE - WEDNESDAYS
Welcome to First Edge, my Wednesday focus on beginning novelists. Here you'll find practical guidance, encouragement, and permission to start your writing journey. Whether you're thinking about writing or ready to begin, First Edge offers the support you need to take your first steps.

Dear Beginning Novelist,

The tree needs trimming, cookies need baking, and your novel… well, it’s sitting there, waiting. That blank page seems to mock you with visions of perfect prose while holiday chaos swirls around you. Today, I’m giving you a gift: permission to write imperfectly during the holidays.

The Reality of Holiday Writing

Let’s be honest about what writing looks like right now:

  • Ten minutes between wrapping presents
  • Notes on your phone while waiting in shopping lines
  • Early morning words before the family wakes
  • Late night paragraphs after the celebrations quiet down

This isn’t your normal writing routine. And that’s okay.

What “Imperfect Writing” Looks Like

  • Unfinished scenes
  • Plot holes you’ll fix later
  • Character names in [brackets]
  • Notes to yourself in the margins
  • Dialogue without tags
  • Description you’ll flesh out later

All of these are perfectly imperfect ways to keep your story moving forward.

Why Imperfect Writing Matters

Your story doesn’t need perfection—it needs existence. Every word you write, no matter how rough, is:

  • One more brick in your novel’s foundation
  • Proof that you’re committed to your dream
  • Progress toward your goal
  • Practice in your craft

Simple Strategies for Holiday Writing

  1. Lower Your Word Count Goals
  • Normal day: 1,000 words
  • Holiday version: 250 words
  • Even 50 words keep your story alive
  1. Embrace the Fragments
  • Write scenes out of order
  • Capture dialogue snippets
  • Jot down setting details
  • Note character insights
  1. Use Holiday Moments
  • Channel family dynamics into character relationships
  • Turn holiday stress into story conflict
  • Transform festive settings into scene backgrounds
  • Convert real conversations into dialogue

Your Permission Slip

Dear Writer,
You have permission to:

  • Write badly
  • Write briefly
  • Write randomly
  • Write imperfectly
  • Write differently than usual
  • Keep your story alive however you can

Signed,
Your Writing Coach

Moving Forward

Your novel doesn’t need your perfection—it needs your presence. Even small, imperfect efforts keep your story breathing during this busy season. Come January, you’ll be grateful for every word you wrote, no matter how messy.

Remember: Imperfect writing can be revised. Unwritten stories remain untold.

Keep writing, dear novelist. Your story matters, even during the holidays.

Use the Contact form to schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.

Sharpening the Edge—Writing Through Holiday Distractions: Real Solutions from My Writing Desk

SHARPENING THE EDGE - MONDAYS
Welcome to Sharpening the Edge, my Monday focus on real-time novel writing. Here you'll find insights from my current work-in-progress, sharing challenges, breakthroughs, and solutions as they happen. Whether you're in the midst of your novel or planning to start, these posts offer practical experience from the writing desk.

It’s 6 AM, and I’m stealing time before the holiday chaos begins. My protagonist, Sarah, is about to discover a crucial piece of evidence, but the mental list of gifts to wrap and cookies to bake keeps intruding. Welcome to December writing, fellow novelists. Here’s how I’m keeping my WIP alive during the holiday season.

What’s Working (And What Isn’t)

This morning, I managed 750 words despite three false starts. The trick? I’m writing in shorter bursts with more intense focus. Here’s my current chapter challenge and how I’m handling it:

The Scene: Sarah breaks into her father’s study to find proof of corporate fraud
The Holiday Distraction: Mental shopping lists kept replacing my description of the study
The Solution: I wrote the scene backwards. Started with what she finds, then filled in how she got there.

My Current Writing Schedule

I’ve adjusted my usual writing routine to work with, not against, holiday demands:

  • Early morning: First draft writing (like this morning’s study scene)
  • Lunch break: Quick scene outlining for tomorrow
  • Evening: Light editing while watching holiday movies
  • Weekend: One two-hour block instead of my usual full morning

Real Talk About Progress

Last week’s word count:

  • Monday: 750 words
  • Tuesday: 0 (holiday party)
  • Wednesday: 1,200 words (made up for Tuesday)
  • Thursday: 600 words
  • Friday: 900 words
  • Weekend: 1,500 words total

Not my usual output, but steady progress wins the race.

What’s Actually Working

  1. Scene Cards: I’ve started keeping index cards by my bed. When holiday planning invades my writing time, I jot down the intrusive thoughts and keep writing.
  2. Time Blocking: Instead of my usual three-hour morning session, I’m doing three one-hour blocks throughout the day. More manageable, less guilty when interrupted.
  3. Location Switching: The coffee shop is too festive right now. I’ve moved to the library’s back corner. No holiday music, no peppermint mochas, just focus.

Today’s Breakthrough

This morning’s realization: holiday distractions can actually serve the story. My scattered focus helped me write about Sarah’s anxiety better. Her scattered thoughts mirror my own, making the scene more authentic.

Moving Forward

My plan for this week:

  • Finish the study scene (target: Wednesday)
  • Layer in emotional beats during gift-wrapping
  • Use holiday party small talk to inspire dialogue
  • Draft next week’s scenes during long shopping lines

Remember, fellow writers: imperfect progress is still progress. Your story will be there, growing slowly but surely, through the season.

So excuse me while I get back to Sarah in that study. I’ve got thirty minutes before the real world needs me, and she’s about to find something that will change everything.

Use the Contact form to schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.