While my main focus is on my fiction, I do take on occasional editing clients. Lately I've noticed the wide variation in first drafts out there. As a bona fide “pantser” who writes by the seat of her pants and doesn't have too much of an outline ahead of time, my own first drafts tend to go all over the place.
That's perfectly okay. But there's a big difference between a “first draft” and a “pro first draft.” A pro first draft isn't the wild mess that a Nanowrimo draft is.
I know that this topic is pretty deep in the weeds for non-writers, so instead of boring you, I'll just link to my latest Story Grid blog post: Turning the Amateur First Draft into the Professional First Draft.
Some of my readers have already gotten back to me with positive feedback–and I'm really glad! I hope this article helps. And as always, please let me know if there's anything I can clarify or any way to help the aspiring novelists out there. You can always visit my editing and publishing website, Apollo Grannus Books, and click the 30-minute call button if you'd like to chat with me about your writing.
