Chloe Marcus

The Curse of Overcorrection

Writing is a learning experience, no matter who you are. The more you write, the more you learn.

If you’re lucky you might know how to make those little tiny changes as you notice problems in your WIP (work in progress), tiny tweaks, little adjustments. Not me. I like to swerve from one extreme to the next.

Not enough world building? Let’s try to cram so much in my character won’t make it down the stairs for three pages.

Too many meandering scenes that don’t build my plot? No problem, my world and character motivation will make no sense, but my plot? Streamlined.

Regardless, of where your writing shortcomings fall, or whether you’re a panzer or a plotter or somewhere in between, there are a few things I’ve found are crucial to consider before writing your first draft. And since you asked so nicely, I’ll let you in on my not-so-secret, secrets.

In terms of the plot, whether you’re Type A or Z you need:
~ The kernel of your plot and your inciting incident.

That’s it. Now, I have a bit of plotting blood in me, so I do like to have a general outline, but I don’t employ a beat sheet until after my first draft, a new practice that I’m loving.

The next key part is your Main Character. Even if you are a plot-driven writer, you need to know your characters. All the important ones, but no one is more important than your MC.

For me, flushing out their unique personalities includes:
~ Understanding my MC’s misbelief or flaw. This provides fodder for that important character arc.
~ On the same note, consider how this misbelief formed. Write a scene if it helps!
~ Clarify your MC’s goal at the beginning, even though it likely will change over the course of the novel, they need to want something. Passive MC’s can be done, but you risk aggravating the reader.
~ And my personal favorite: consider giving your MC a hobby, something interesting, something different, something that hasn’t been overdone.

If you have those things in place for your first draft, you will forgo a lot of revision and rewrite headaches, believe me, I know. I never learn the easy way. Alright, enough yammering from me.

You might have something else you’d add that helps you bust out your first draft, and as long as it’s not illegal, do it!