The rush of the words spilling out onto blank pages is over and excitement has turned into dread. It’s time to craft and work on the story. Letting go of first drafts has never been easy. What writer wants to begin making cuts to their genius?
Drafts are like holding a newborn and none of us want to let go of our babies. A million questions flooded my mind as I looked down at my first draft. What if the voice changes? Do I want the voice to change? Do I really know the age range of my audience? What am I really doing with this story? Is this really something anyone would read?
Let’s just say that there are always more questions than answers in the beginning of writing a story. My brilliant story of a Station Cat inspired by my trip to Tokyo is going back and forth between an audience closer in middle school to young adult. Changing the story to toddler age is out of the question at this point because of the way the words flowed out.
So, I’m using one of my writing prompts and typing away to figure out what’s really there. I didn’t cross out all of my first draft but I did start an alternative beginning. I want to keep the magic of what happens when the story first goes down. Often, I’ve found that my first words best captured the feeling of the story compared to my editing self. In other words, the initial genius was lost in the changing of the wording.
If you ever feel this way, it can feel like writer’s block. My advice, don’t stop. Just keep typing things out. A solution to your story dilemma will come. It’s okay if you deviate from your original story. Sometimes, that can be genius too. Other times, it helps you circle back to what makes the strongest story.
The point is to keep those writing wheels turning in your brain. Speaking of writing exercises, I think I’ve narrowed down my age range of audience. All it took was a google search on the average age range of Harry Potter readers. I think I’m aiming for ages 8-12 years old, and hopefully this will appeal to all ages too. See typing away does work.
Hopefully, this quick glimpse behind the writing scene helps anyone else who’s working on their own draft. Well, I’m off to read what I have again.
Remember, write, read, write again, and then repeat until you have a finished draft. Just don’t stop!
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Get closer to your writing goals with my Writer’s Journal filled with writing prompts and exercises. You can find a copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0931QRL7C/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_VTHN0QSHXRYK6RJ1XSWQ.
Writer's Block Inc 