Tips for Writing Your First Draft (Let's Get Technical)
When you’re looking for tips for writing the first draft of your book, you might not think of all the technical pieces. But they can be just as important as mindset (Related: Stop “Aspiring” to Be a Writer Blog Post) and writing craft tips! At the very least, you definitely don’t want to neglect them.
You want writing to be as easy as possible, right?
If you do (I know you do), you’re gonna want to check out this list.
Top *Technical* Tips for Writing Your First Draft
1. Pick a writing program you love. Or one you can tolerate for now.
There are a ton of writing programs out there, but four always seem to rise to the top:
Microsoft Word
Apple’s Pages
Scrivener
Google Docs
These are the ones that I’ve heard most writers are using, and I’ve used three of the four to write books myself (I haven’t tried Scrivener yet, but I’ve heard amazing things about it). The features between them vary as do the pros and cons of each. You are certainly welcome to do your research (especially if you’re going to pay for a program), but don’t procrastinate getting started by using this as an excuse. You can always switch later if you come to hate the one you chose! That’s what Copy + Paste is for (see #5 below).
2. Learn the program you’re using, and embrace its features.
Sure, you could just open your word processor and start writing. I mean, of course, you could. But most of them have some pretty cool features (especially Scrivener, but we’re gonna keep it basic here.) They may vary slightly between programs, but here are some of the features I’ve found that I LOVE to use. (For reference, I used to write in Microsoft Word, but I moved to Pages when I got my MacBook Air and have NEVER looked back.)
Use the Comment or Bookmark feature to make notes to yourself for things to come back to later or things you frequently need to reference. (My second book had a bunch of prophecies in it, for example, and I needed to know the exact wording as I went along.) I use the Bookmarks feature in Pages, and I’ve even created a code for each type: Ref for Reference, FS for Foreshadowing, PH for Plot Hole, RW for Rewrite, etc.
Use Find and Replace to change character names, locations, and anything else! You can even use this if you’ve used variations of names; just search one of the words to find the right one! (I did this when I wasn’t sure I was consistent with the name of a museum — I just searched the word “museum” and found all the instances of that word! Spoiler: I wasn’t consistent. 😂)
Use the Find feature by itself to look at words you commonly misspell or punctuations you aren’t always consistent with. You can also use this to figure out how many instances of a word you’ve used so you can catch those overused words and phrases!
Use the Table of Contents feature to easily jump from one chapter to another (and track how many pages you have in each chapter if you’re concerned about chapter length). I personally LOVE this feature.
Use the built-in Dictionary! It may not be super robust or technically correct in everything, but it can help you brainstorm synonyms in a pinch without interrupting your writing process! And making it technically correct is your editor’s job, anyway.
Again, I know Scrivener has even more features, but if you’re using your computer’s built-in program, get creative and embrace it! You may even figure out something I haven’t mentioned here.
On a somewhat related note: Format the document to make it easy to read as well! If you like a serif font, go for it! If you need it double-spaced, do it. Always the theme: Figure out what works for you, then roll with it.
3. Save your manuscript often and always. And in the cloud.
At every available opportunity. In every moment. On multiple occasions and in multiple locations.
Okay, so maybe not multiple locations, but you get the point.
Always, ALWAYS save your manuscript to the cloud. I don’t care which one, as long as it’s reputable. When your manuscript is saved to the cloud, a computer crash won’t cost you your book. You’ll just get a new computer, log in to your cloud service, and keep writing! So please, for the love of all that is holy, save your book in the cloud. PLEASE.
I’m just trying to save you a lot of heartache here. Trust me.
Related: Watch this YouTube video for tips on how to save your manuscript.
4. Copy the “template” from your first first draft.
Once you have a first draft completed and you have everything set up as you’d like, just make a copy of that manuscript to start your second book! Not only will the formatting already be in place (like the table of contents), but it will look the same to your eye, which will get you back in writing mode.
I’m just trying to make things easy on ya. No need to reinvent the wheel here.
5. Make “Copy + Paste” your best friend.
Remember how I just suggested you make a copy of your first manuscript so the formatting’s the same? Now you get to use that “Copy + Paste” feature. Copy each chapter heading (and change the number and title, if applicable) so the formatting matches. Do this with the section headers while you’re at it, too.
Copy + Paste can also help if you’re having trouble spelling a person’s name. You can always copy it in another document and paste it in when you need it! And while we’re on the subject…
6. Know and love the keyboard shortcuts.
Seriously. This will save you SO MUCH TIME. At a minimum, you’ll want to know Copy, Paste, Undo, and Save, especially if you’re using a program that’s not autosaving for you. Also helpful are Select All, Cut, Add Bookmarks or Comments, and the fancy shortcuts to select a single word or line. And while we’re at it, learn how to switch between programs with the keyboard, too (and between windows in the same program!). This will get you back and forth between your internet browser and your manuscript. Helpful for all those thesaurus.com visits, right?
Here’s a list of keyboard shortcuts in Word…
7. Learn how to type an em dash. (That’s the super long one.)
Okay, so this got its own point because #emdashlove. I LOVE the em dash. It’s the longest dash out there, designed for interrupting a sentence. I could be accused of overusing it (though I’ll never concede that point), but I’m a firm believer that EVERY book needs it. Okay, maybe 98% of books, but that’s still a lot! Enough that you should know how to type it.
Here’s the problem, though: Microsoft doesn’t make it easy. (I mean, this is ridiculous, right?) I think you can create your own keyboard shortcut for it, though I don’t remember the technical term for doing that. But you can always type a placeholder (something you use every time that you can easily replace in one fell swoop) then Find and Replace (remember that wonderful feature from #2?) the correct em dash. For example, every time you want an em dash, just type -- then replace it later.
If you have a Mac, celebrate. It’s super easy. (For reference, it’s [option + shift + -]. Easy peasy.)
8. Create a footer to show your page number.
When you’re drafting (AKA writing your first draft), the number of pages you see won’t line up with the number of pages that will be in the final paperback copy of your book. HOWEVER, it’s still fun and rewarding to see yourself making progress. It also helps your brain get a feel for where certain parts of the story end up in the book. And in that vein…
9. Turn on the word count feature so it’s always in your face.
I love to see progress as it’s happening. Even better? Seeing that word count climb as I’m typing. Showing the word count on the screen as you’re writing will give you an idea of where you’re at in the story — if you know how long you’re planning for your book to be, that is. But even if you don’t, you’ll still have a good idea of how much progress you’ve made. And that’s so motivating!
10. Create a new file each time you start a new draft (but not for each chapter).
Not only do you want a new file for each new book, you’ll want a new document for each draft. Not only is it fun to look back at previous drafts to see how far you’ve come, but it’s also a great motivator to acknowledge how many drafts you’ve already completed! Plus, if you change a storyline (and forget to add it to your deleted scenes file — see #11 below), you’ll get to stroll down memory lane and remember why you changed it. (Or maybe you’ll discover it was better than the rewrite and want to add it back in!) Simply duplicate the original file and give the copy a new name that includes the draft number in the new title.
A little note here to address the end of this point: I don’t recommend a different file for each chapter. If you already have this, it’s super easy to combine it into one document! So I’d recommend doing that as soon as possible. You’ll only have one document to worry about, and it’ll make following the tips here super easy. And you won’t be opening and dealing with multiple files when you’re trying to remember the exact name of a tertiary character you’ve mentioned once!
11. Have a “Deleted Scenes” file to collect all of your deleted content.
If, as you’re writing your first draft, you discover a scene that just doesn’t fit, don’t just delete it. Add it to a “Deleted Scenes” document. That way, if you decide you need it back, you want inspiration for another scene that pulls elements from that one, or you just want an extra scene to give to your true fans as a preorder bonus, you’ll have it!
The worst feeling is losing writing you thought you didn’t want but then end up deciding you do. Just save it. You’ll be glad you did.
12. Put the date in the document title.
This isn’t a must, but I started doing this a while ago on just about all of my documents. Why? Because it’s super easy for you to see the date you started writing this manuscript! I know, I know, you could always just check the “Date Created” metadata, but where’s the fun in that?
On my most recent manuscript, I’ve stopped and started a few times. So I’ve added those start dates to the end of the document! (I now have three dates at the end of the title. I didn’t say I write quickly all the time. 😂)
There it is: My best technical tips for writing your first draft! If you’re in the drafting process, consider yourself lucky! I find that drafting is my absolute favorite part of the writing process — it’s pure creation. So let the story move you, get all your ducks in a row with these drafting tips, and have fun with it!
Let me know which tip (or tips) you’re going to try in the comments below!
And if you’re struggling with getting started on your book, check out the Writers Affirmations ebook. It’s free, and it’s designed to help you break through all the mental blocks that are holding you back from actually writing your book. Sign up now! 👇🏻