What's In A First Draft? Book Writing Tips From Robin Rice

[AngelsBlackRose]

I love your advice but i don't know why I always try to make it perfect on first draft, and you help me with getting off topic? I can still hear most of my elementary school teachers saying, "STAY ON TOPIC!" haha... So can ya help me?

[SlightlyWetFart]

Thanks for your motivational advice. I'm 35,000 words into my first draft and was losing heart, thinking that, because I'm rushing along to get the story out, my prose is not as colourful and succinct as it should be. I just have to keep in mind that that will be resolved in second draft.

[dreamhorsey]

thank you so much on making all theis videos! do you just write as a hobby or a full time?

[JuddQueen]

thank you for uploading :D

[MiCompre]

All of my first drafts are mere outlines.

Get that right and the rest should follow on. But those darned characters will insist on sneaking up on me and have me change things to suit them. Snag is, my hulking great protagonist is too tough to argue with...

[deneco4]

Im a published author...and this is shit that I still need to hear, because each book is a battle.

Great information!

[creativityWORLD]

when i write a rough draft it i usaully only a chapter or half a chapter but it is usually at night, so when i finish i go to sleep. then when i wake up i feel like writing something else, or starteing something new, but i keep telling myself to just keeep writing it "might get better" but i find my self with thousands of papers on my bed..

[Channelobunnies]

Thanks for this! This is what I'm suffering through right now. I can't begin to say how much I'm looking forward to being done the first draft and getting into the editing. :)

[canonissuggestion]

I just finished my first draft a few days ago. Any tips on editing?

[edvill82]

this might be out of the topic from this vid but I got this question. if you don't mind. I start writing my novel, wrote it on paper, wrote it in computer but something really hit me hard, how to divide my story/novel into chapters? I don't know how many pages but i'm trying to reach atleast 100 pages. where and when can I divide from chapter 1 to chapter 2? because without chapters, I can't write the content of the book.

[MiCompre]

@edvill82

Was it Lincoln who said 'A man's legs should be long enough to reach the ground'?

A chapter should be long enough to do its job. Chapters work best if you leave a cliff-hanger at the end too, especially in omniscient voice. Leave your hero in desperate trouble and cut to another scene, from another character's point of view. That will work. Just so long as a chapter doesn't groan on and force the reader to put the book back on the shelf!

[edvill82]

@MiCompre thanks for the tip :)

[PvtFreddy]

I've just found this video and its great to hear someone just lay it out and say in a polite way "just write it".

My question comes for after the first draft. How do you as a person decide how to really grasp your teeth into the editing process? For example: its it better to begin from chapter 01 and work your way through or just pick a chapter and say "what the hell, I'll work on this today"?

Thank you

[TheRobinRice]

I've been trying to reply here, but so far no luck... let's try again!

[LadyMad02]

Very good advice! =]

I'm in the middle of doing Nanowrimo (nation novel writn month) and I just wanted you to know I'll be sharing this with my friends who are also wanting to write but keep getting stuck.

[sswizard]

Do i have to get my first draft copy written?

[TheRobinRice]

nope! copyright is automatic these days, and while anyone can steal an idea, few will try to steal actual words. When you are published, copyright makes sense.

[683crystar]

Hi! Thanks for the great video. I've started my first draft, but now I'm really struggling- I feel like I'm too close to it, and now I'm tearing it all down. Any advice on how to stay motivated?

[TheRobinRice]

Hi! I think staying motivated is about making sure you have the right story... and just write to see what happens... just go to the next scene and see if something interests you again... editing is for later, when you have something you really like! Hope that helps, Robin

[TheRobinRice]

Absolutely AngelofEdward... I used to worry about that all the time, and it really slowed me down. now, I know I will go back. Keep writing!!!

[angelofEdward]

this video is reasuring to me because it let's me that it's fine to make mistakes in the draft i've been worrying about all the mistakes i've made already in my draft

[hgjtuyree]

Thanks for the tips. I think it`s cool when writers make sure that different characters have there own speech quirks. However, I don`t like it when a character has an accent, and the writer trys to put that accent on the page. If you`ve ever read Trainspotting, you`ll know what I`m talking about.

[hgjtuyree]

I should have wrote "their," not there. I have a habit of making that mistake. :(

[Piratesarrrgreat]

How can I read your first draft?