Lore & LilacStage 03 of 05
Draft
Get the whole story onto the page
A first draft has one job: to exist. This stage is about the practical side of finishing — a routine that bends around real life, a way through the sagging middle, and notes that let you keep moving without losing track of what you've changed.
Rest days are part of the plan. A draft written at a pace you can keep beats a heroic month followed by a long silence.
Guides in this stage
A drafting routine that survives real life
Design your routine for an ordinary, slightly tired week, with rest built in and a clear way back when life gets in the way.
7 min read
Through the middle: what to do when the draft sags
Treat the slow stretch between the opening and the ending as a diagnosis to make, not a verdict on your book.
7 min read
Notes for your future self: placeholders and a living story bible
Mark what you don't know yet, record what you've decided, and leave yourself a trail you can actually follow at revision time.
7 min read
Key concepts
- Point of viewThe vantage from which a story is told: whose perceptions the reader shares and what grammatical person the narration uses.
- Close third personNarration using he, she or they that stays inside one character's perceptions and thoughts at a time, close to their experience.
- Narrative voiceThe distinctive personality of the narration, created by word choice, rhythm, attitude and what the narrator notices.
- Scene and sequelA pacing pattern that alternates action units (goal, conflict, setback) with reaction units (response, dilemma, decision).
- Show, don't tellGuidance to let readers infer emotions and traits from action, dialogue and detail instead of stating them outright in summary.
- Story bibleA reference collection recording the established facts of a novel, such as characters, places, objects, rules and timeline, so they stay consistent from chapter to chapter.
- Word countThe number of words in a manuscript, used to judge whether a novel's length suits its genre and audience, and to track drafting progress.
- Try-fail cycleA pattern in which a character attempts to solve a problem, falls short or succeeds at a cost, and must try again with more at stake.