Completing Your First Draft

Once you have decided on the book that you want to write, you should start on your first draft. This may change by the time the book is completed, although chances are that you will keep some of the information in the final book.
Everyone writes in a different way. There are those who rewrite as they are going along and those who complete the first draft before attempting any rewriting. It is best to write the first draft and get it all on paper, or computer, before you start to rewrite. This can allow you to see the direction that your book is taking and how it looks. If your first draft is less than magnificent, do not get discouraged as this is only your first draft. Many writers who write fiction like to get their first draft finished before they start any research. The average book is about 80,000 words, although a rough draft of a book may be less.

Sketching Out

In some cases, writers will sketch out a first draft that is mostly narrative. It contains only sparse dialogue, to be put in later when re-writing. If you are writing a fiction book, this is a good way to get the book down on paper, see if the plot makes sense, and make sure that you present a conflict and a resolution to it. There are two types of conflicts that can be contained in your book, either internal conflicts or external conflicts. Internal conflicts are those that take place in the minds of the characters of the book and can be due to their perception of the world or their perception about another individual. External conflicts are those that are caused by outside influences. Misunderstandings or third parties getting in the way are examples of external conflicts that arise in fiction books. A good way to figure out the conflict in the book is to present the reader with a question that will be answered at the end and this type of conflict is often used in murder mysteries. The reader does not know who committed the murder until the climax of the book, after which the conflict has been resolved. A good book may also present a series of conflicts that come together to be resolved by the time the book ends. All in all, it is important to create conflict in a fiction book that will keep the reader interested. A good book also makes a point. There can be symbolism in the book as well as a subtle message that the author is trying to get across to the reader. While not all books contain these variables, they are found in some of the great novels.

Foreshadowing

Another factor you want to add into your fiction book is foreshadowing which implies that something will happen to change the world of the characters early in the book. This should be presented throughout the book, but especially in the beginning as it gets the reader hooked early on so that they will want to continue reading to see what happens.

The first paragraph of your book is probably the most important part as this is the paragraph that will either hook or bore the reader. One problem that many authors have when it comes to writing a book that is interesting is a slow start. This fails to pull the reader in and keep them interested. Including foreshadowing in the first paragraph is a good idea and another thing that you can do to make your book more interesting to the reader is to start in the middle. You can then take the reader back, through the use of dialog and narrative, to the beginning of the story to fill them in on the history.

The Climax

The climax of the book is also important in a fictional story; the plot should slowly build up to the climax. You may have several anti-climaxes in the book as well as other conflicts to be resolved. Do not make the mistake of introducing characters at the end of the book who figure heavily into the resolution of the plot. For example, if you are writing a murder mystery, you need to have the murderer figure in to the book early on. Some writers will make it look as if someone is obviously guilty but the culprit is someone who the reader does not expect. You want to keep your reader hungry for more as they get to the end of the book.
​
While the first paragraph, climax and conflict resolution are integral parts of the book, do not fill your book with fluff. Each character in the book should figure somewhat in the plot and each sentence in the book should move the plot forward. This does not often happen in the first draft of the book but will happen as you continue with re-writes. Remember that any book, even a non-fiction book, does not appear on paper the way that it comes out of your head - you have to be prepared for re-writing.