Get The Draft Done! Helping Writers Finish Their First Draft by Charles F. French

by | Jan 19, 2021 | Author | 6 comments

Hello, and thank you to Author’s Lounge for this opportunity to speak about one of my books on writing.

I decided to write Get The Draft Done! Helping Writers Finish Their First Draft by Charles F. French because I have known several writers who struggle with ever completing a first draft. They often attempt to make it perfect, which is not possible, and it means, therefore, that they will never have an initial draft to revise, itself a demanding process. In this book, I give practical and actionable advice on how to finish a first draft.

I have committed to being a writer relatively late in life, in my 50s, but since I did, I have become prolific in producing, at the very least, first drafts. As I say in the book, “I have become an expert on creating first drafts in the last eight years [now nine] of writing. That is when I committed to being a writer as well as a professor of English. In those years . . . I have written my dissertation for my Ph.D in English literature, 3 academic papers, two short stories, [three] finished novels and first drafts for three other books.” I have also written French On English: A Guide to Writing Better Essays, and that book is aimed at high school and college students.

With Get The Draft Done! Helping Writers Finish Their First Draft I hope that readers find specific ways to move past the writing traps of delaying through procrastination, avoiding writers block, and removing the need for perfection in writing a first draft. Writers must be able to get their words down on paper, or they will have no way to proceed for the action of revision. I also emphasize that a writer SHOULD NEVER REVISE while drafting, not at all, not even spelling mistakes.

This book will help other writers who struggle with these problems, and I hope to be able to work specifically with those who are having difficulties in finishing their first drafts. I hope to be able to alleviate their stress and anxiety and offer them a clear path forward.

I am beginning another book on writing which will focus on the act of revision. In that book, I will offer specific plans on how to go about the often difficult and puzzling task of revising a novel of book of non-fiction.

In addition to these books, I have completed three novels, all of which feature the adventures of several retired folk who have become ghost investigators. In their adventures, they are forced to confront several forms of terrible evil.  These novels are Maledicus: The Investigative Paranormal Society Book 1, Gallows Hill: The Investigative Paranormal Society Book 2, and Evil Lives After: The Investigative Paranormal Society Book 3.

As a writer, my goals are to produce, at a minimum two first drafts every year. After spending the needed time during the day on working on an initial draft, I then spend time working on revision. I have one book that I am currently submitting and hoping to find an agent for and eventually a publishing deal. I have a second book almost ready for that process.  I am currently about one-sixth of the way through what is a new venture for me—writing the first draft of an historical fiction/romance.  I also do not restrict my writing to one genre, which is why I call myself a speculative writer. I write the stories that I have in my head. I hope the reader enjoy them.

My books and I can be found at:

www.charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com

Twitter: @French_C1955

My Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Charles-F-French/e/B01M5BZZ6B

6 Comments

  1. Felicia Denise

    Nice article, Charles! My first two drafts are always migraine-inducing for me so I will definitely check out your book.

    Reply
  2. Tricia Sullivan

    Congratulations. I look forward to reading it.

    Reply
  3. Tricia Sullivan

    Congratulations. I look forward to reading it.

    Reply
  4. Roberta Eaton Cheadle

    This is very good advice for writers as it is difficult to get a first draft done if you are endlessly revising the beginning. You have to let go and just get on with writing the story, going back to improve and edit afterwards. I have read all three of Charles’ Investigative Paranormal Society books and thoroughly enjoyed them all.

    Reply

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