![]() That could mean creating mysteries for myself to untangle, or setting up problems I haven’t figured out how to solve, or finding ways to make my characters surprise me. I do whatever I can to stay curious about the characters and the world. ![]() In my very first novel, I realized that my so-called protagonist was dull, and meanwhile a supporting character was doing fascinating stuff in the background-so I tossed out the former, and promoted the latter. I change my mind about major stuff-like, I’ll decide the characters should have gone left instead of right, and instead of going back and changing it, I’ll just pretend that’s what always “happened.” I eat candy for dinner, as much as I can. I eat dessert first-like, if there’s a scene I’m dying to write, I’ll write it now and then try and write the stuff leading up to it later. My secret for finishing a first draft? Not obsessing too much about the finished product, or getting intimidated by the idea of creating a thing that will have a spine. My first drafts, without exception, have always been messy as anything and I’ve tried to have as much fun as possible in the process. Or in other words, to make a glorious, beautiful, breathtaking mess. For now, your task is to create a first draft. ![]() That comes later, once you’ve done a ton of revision and rethinking. Your job now is not to create a manuscript that a publisher will want to sell at lemonade stands all over the country. The moment you had an idea for a novel, the moment a world started taking shape in your mind, you became one of us. You know why? Because you’re already a novelist, even if you’re just putting down your first few words. You may find yourself facing ogres and tigers and other things with “grr” in their name, but you are fierce and mighty, and they don’t stand a chance. You have a story that needs to be told, and only you can tell it. Today is the day when everything changes-because you’re about to start writing a novel.
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