Embrace the crappy first draft! 📄

Today's guest is author Gabriella Saab.

Mar 30, 2023

With how crazy life can get, it can be hard to add writing to your daily routine.

From working a day job to raising a family to pursuing hobbies outside of writing, writers’ lives are full of busy, attention-grabbing tasks. Finding a couple hours—or even a couple minutes—of quiet time to write during your day can be difficult. Sometimes, the reason why a writer never becomes a published author is because they just stop writing altogether.

Remember: it doesn’t matter if it’s perfect. The most important thing is to just write.

The number one thing that will immediately kill any writing career is to stop writing. To stop thinking about your world, characters, and story. To stop reading for the joy of reading. Your stories need to be told, and you are the only one who can tell them—so don’t let life get in the way (unless of course you need to take a break).

In today’s interview, author Gabriella Saab goes over how she maintains herself as a writer and prioritizes time for her craft.

OUR SPECIAL GUEST TODAY IS…

Gabriella Saab

Author

Her latest novel, Daughters of Victory, is available now!

What is the most memorable writing tip or technique that you have heard, and how did it influence your process?

A very wise author—NYT bestselling author Kate Quinn, in fact—once told me to "embrace the suck." Meaning that your writing isn't going to be perfect, especially in your early stages of drafting a new book or while you're developing your craft or simply on a day where the words aren't flowing. That's okay! You have to put the idea on paper first, then you can focus on cleaning it up and making it stronger and prettier.

Give yourself the freedom to write a bad sentence or an underdeveloped scene and move on. It doesn't matter how strong the sentence or scene is if the story as a whole isn't working, so focus on getting the story figured out first, know that you don't have to have it perfect right away, and just put words on paper. Without words on paper, you have nothing to make better.

How do you personally get over writer's block?

I do a lot of developmental work upfront, which really helps me get to know my characters and story, so if I experience writer's block, the first thing I do is get away from my desk. Go for a walk, read a book, play with my dog, whatever I need to clear my head for a little bit. Then I dig back into my development notes and ask myself what am I stuck on? Is it the character and her motivation? How to get from plot point A to plot point B? Is it something to do with the research? If the answer can be solved by research, I'll do more of that and usually uncover something to help me.

If it's a plot or character issue that isn't impacted by the history, I can almost always move past it by getting in my main character's head. What is her goal in this scene, who or what is standing in her way of achieving it, what are the stakes if she does or doesn't succeed, and what is she, personally, going to DO about it? These questions lead me to a solution that feels natural to my character, not to something I, the writer, am trying to force just to get the story moving. That would probably be my biggest tip for anyone experiencing writer's block: Always come back to your character, and more often than not, they'll give you the answer.

What is developmental editing?

What is one thing you wish you had known about the publishing process before going through it yourself?

Even after you achieve the next goal—agent, book deal, book release, etc—you will always be chasing the next one. You'll have high and low moments. You'll still doubt yourself and your work. Publishing itself is going to disappoint you and is not going to make you happy; the things that WILL make you happy are the people you'll meet along the way, the realization that you've made it this far and can keep going, and never forgetting why you love what you do and why this journey is worth every singe second. Keep that in mind to combat those doubts and fears and to keep them from overwhelming you or stealing the joy of your accomplishments.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? What's your personal drafting process like?

I'm a plotter! I write historical fiction, so I need to sort through my ideas and conduct research to make sure I have a story. Once I get an idea, I develop a synopsis and begin my research; I send the synopsis to my critique partner for review, and this helps me catch any big issues and saves me at least one draft. Once the synopsis is stronger, I develop a timeline of the real events and a timeline of my story, then break that down into a chapter-by-chapter outline. For this early stage, I also use Anatomy of Story by John Truby, an absolutely incredible book on craft that helps me develop my plot, characters, themes, and everything else. This whole process takes me about three months, typically, and once I have my story outlined, I can usually draft it in about 3 months, too. Despite all this plotting and preparation, the story still experience shifts and changes as I get to know it better during the drafting process, but my developmental process makes my first draft so much stronger. It might take time, but it's worth it!

Common self-editing mistakes to catch

How do you balance finding time to write and managing other obligations and responsibilities?

You have to find what works for you, and for me, that's scheduling and time management. I set my goals for the day and that keeps me motivated and on task. It also helps me set manageable expectations to avoid getting discouraged or falling behind. For example, I have a part-time day job, so on those days, I know I won't get as much writing done, or the writing will have to happen at night or on weekends. Also, remember to take breaks and practice self-care to avoid burnout—easier said than done, but so important!

What's one writing "rule" or piece of advice that you decidedly break?

Writers often say "don't edit as you draft, just focus on finishing the draft." Well, guess what: I edit as I draft! And I highly recommend doing so. When I'm drafting a new story, I review the previous day's work, edit it, and move on—not a heavy edit but enough to strengthen it overall. It helps me settle back into the story and keeps my drafts cleaner. I don't necessarily do big developmental edits unless they completely alter the course of the story.

For example, if I think I know my character's motive but, as I start writing, I realize something else is motivating her, I'll fix that right away because it will impact my story as a whole; I'd rather address those kinds of issues now, when the whole story isn't finished, than leave it for the end. On the other hand, if I review the previous day's work and realize the scene needs more setting description, I'll leave a note saying "strengthen the setting" and move on. The trick to editing while you draft is not to get hung up on the edits, but if you're like me, it's a wonderful way to familiarize yourself with where you left off in the story and catch a few fixes right away, rather than saving them all for later.