How to Avoid the Dreaded Crap Draft

I’m writing from my phone today because my computer chose this morning to flash the dreaded “This will take a while” screen and work on updates that will likely have no effect whatsoever on my favorite apps. I love technology.

But this post isn’t about the spinning ball of death or hours spent contemplating how much of our lives are virtual. No. This post is about something I used to dread more than anything else in the world of words: outlines.

When I was in middle school, my classmates gave me these curious and mildly condescending looks that I didn’t understand. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I realized what they were staring at– my empty desk.

I didn’t take a single note throughout my entire middle school education. In my mind, I was better off listening to my teachers’ thoughts than I was trying to organize my own at the same time. My brain is like a jungle full of mystical creatures. It’s too easy to get lost in there.

Fortunately for me, taking notes was optional. But writing assignments were not. And my teachers liked outlines– a lot.

I used to sit, frustrated, for hours at a time, trying to sort through the thoughts in my head and fit them into the shell of my outline. You’ve probably had to use it, too. Uppercase letters, and numbers, and dashes and dots. All the inhibiting things.

Of course, once I finished my outline, writing a rough draft was easy. Until I strayed from said outline and had to resubmit it two or three times. But that’s another story.

Needless to say, by the time I sat down to write my book, I was done, done, SO DONE with outlines.

But, as I’m sure you can imagine, it’s very difficult to write a cohesive book without an outline.

I needed a method that would allow me to get all my thoughts down on paper without compromising organization.

Enter James Patterson’s MasterClass.

My go-to outlining method was derived from James’s, with a few minor tweaks to ensure it fits my style. This process saved me YEARS on the first draft of my second novel, and my current outline is detailed to the tune of 13,000 words.

I swear by this process. If you enjoy writing a crap draft (many authors do!), then it’s not for you. But if you want to jump into your novel with a clear head and oodles of confidence, then this might just be the process you need to succeed.

Before I begin outlining, I brainstorm. For me, brainstorming is less an idea generator and more an opportunity for me to write down everything that’s running around in my head.

Once I’ve moved my mystical creatures (thoughts) onto paper, I begin my outline. No need to hold your breath– this is the simplest outline formula you’ll ever see.

Chapter Number
What happens in this chapter? Write a paragraph about it. Don’t forget about all those great ideas you wrote down earlier. This is where they go to help build a complete story.

And that’s it.

I am totally serious.

How did outlining ever become more complex than this?

Tell the story. Fit in all your best ideas. Make it flow. If you fall into a plot hole, write, “TBD” and move the heck on. With any luck, it’ll fill itself.

Slay that first draft like it doesn’t scare you. Because it won’t. You’ll already know what’s coming next! (If not, though, you can always try throwing your characters off a cliff. They tend to be more helpful when you show them you mean business.)

Combined with your character outlines and worldbuilding technique, this process has the potential to make you a more productive writer than you’ve ever been. On the other side of that, if this is the wrong method for you, scrap it. Every author is different, and every one of us has a unique and special process!

Still need more? I got you. Check out James’s MasterClass here. It changed my life forever.

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash