Jared AxelrodWriter of Adventure

very now and then, either JR or I will turn to the other and ask a question about the story we are writing. Is this character interesting? Is this plot too twisty? Is this feminist enough? It then falls upon the other to answer “That’s not a 1st Draft question,” or whatever draft we are working on at the time. Which is always the correct answer.

It’s very easy to get caught up in questions that just be addressed one, two, three drafts ahead, so it’s nice to have to have a guideline of what questions should be asked when. Your mileage, of course, will vary. But this works well for us.

1st Draft: What happens next?

This is the only question you should be asking yourself as you write your first draft. The. Only. Question.

The point of the first draft is the foundation, the rocks you build your story on. And for that story to be built, the foundation has to be finished. Nothing is more important in writing your first draft than reaching the end. Not your word choice, not your plot mechanics, not your personal politics. All of that can be changed, but not until the draft is finished. This means when you’re done you’ll have a pretty shitty piece of writing, but who cares? You’ve got at least 3 more passes to get it right.

2nd Draft: Does the plot make sense? What does my protagonist want? What is in his/her way to getting it? Are his/her decisions in keeping with his/her character, or to just move the plot?

Now you’ve got a shitty piece of writing that at least has a beginning, middle and end. Good job. It probably has a few human-shaped lumps that could pass as characters, so here’s your chance to make those characters real. Ideally, the protagonist should drive the plot, not the other way around (nobody likes a reactive protagonist, we like people who get shit done). Concurrent with this is the concern that these proactive decisions are keeping in touch with the character. If they aren’t, you can always change the decisions, or change the character.

3rd Draft: Are my characters engaging? Does my antagonist have proper motivation? How is the pace? Should I cut/add anything? Are the places and people properly described?

Your shitty piece of writing now has gained an engaging through-line and an involved, proactive protagonist. Time to beef up those side characters. A good rule of thumb with this is to imagine the story told from each and every character’s point of view. These new stories, where our side characters and villains are now the main heroes, should be just as engaging—if in different ways—as your main story. You don’t have to write these stories, but it’s important to imagine them. Would STAR WARS be as enjoyable if Han Solo, Princess Leia and Darth Vader didn’t have their own stories going on just to the side of Luke’s? MIDDLEMARCH works the same way.

This draft is also a good time to look at pace. Is the story moving fast enough? Is it going too fast? Luckily, your new and improved side characters and antagonists can help out, by cutting some fat off some scenes or adding drama to others. Take some time to define who these people are, as well as the places they inhabit. If Draft 2 was all about the protagonist, Draft 3 is about giving that protagonist a world to inhabit.

4th Draft: Are the words the best words for the situation? I am comfortable with the themes and politics of this story (is it feminist, conservative, racist, etc)? Is it interesting to people who aren’t me?

The story’s not looking quite so shitty now, is it? Here we get to the polish stage, where you can add all those writer bells and whistles you’ve been dying to include since Draft 1. String all the pearls you want; your story should hold them. Now that that you have the story complete, you can also examine the themes and tweak them appropriately. Same with the politics. I’m making a note of them here, in Draft 4, because it’s very easy to fall into the trap of think of these sort of things before the story even finished. No character has politics until they’re fully fleshed out, no themes are evident until you get to the end.

After this pass, you can hand it off to a first reader or two, and they’ll have their own questions for you.

A note to users: much like the mastery of a martial art, one must approach writing in the appropriate sequence, and build upon the questions of a previous draft. You may ask yourself “What happens next?” while working on Draft 4, but if you find yourself wondering if Draft 1 is sexist, you’re focusing on the wrong things.