You write, right? I imagine most of you followers pen something, from short stories, to novels, to poetry? That’s the sort of readership this blog attracts. So you’ll understand what I’m talking about when I say ‘first draft’. The rest of you… no story you see on a book shelf is the first version of that tale. There is a first draft, then a second (and often a third, fourth and fifth!). Multiple edits happen on a manuscript to turn out the story you eventually pay for, read and enjoy.

This is how I feel every time I write a first draft!

I want to talk about drafting since that’s what I’ve been doing most of the month and that’s what the rest of February is dedicated to.

At my critique group, I’ve been calling these drafts ‘brain vomit.’ Sounds gross, but that’s exactly what it is. I come up with an idea, sit down at my desktop (or laptop) and just write. I don’t think (much), I don’t analyse, I certainly don’t edit. I just let the words flow out of my mind in a near constant stream, knowing I can come back later and make them better.

DSB is part of a group for the Breathless Press writers following Raven’s Sugar Dust release. A group of the authors were talking about first drafts and one of the most interest descriptions to come up was something along the lines of ‘I just watch the DVD of my story in my head and write it all down, rushing to keep up!‘

Isn’t that exactly it? We all have this incredible, cinematic vision of what we want and do our best to get that down on the page. Because isn’t that what good storytelling (through a book) is about? Allowing people to follow your vision by giving them the words to spark their own imagination? That, my friends, is magic. ^_^

I love writing first drafts. It’s my absolute favourite part of the process, which is probably why I find them so easy. I know other folk don’t have this luxury, but I’m curious as to how many of you do? How many of you suffer from brain vomit? Or do words have to be pulled out of you, like yanking errant hairs from a plug hole? Which part of the writing process DO you prefer if not the first draft?

Hit me up, I’d love to know.