Amped On Writing The First Draft of my Novel!!!!!!!!!

Recently I decided my only way out of the 9 to 5 work doldrums is to become a successful novelist. So until further notice, my blog entries will be short and snappy. My writing focus will be working on my Erotic Dystopian Skateboard Exploitation Novel. I foresee a huge demand for this new genre. Maybe not, but at least it’ll be original, and fun to write.

Here are a few things I learned not to do from my previous novel attempts:

1. I’m not going to type it or edit it until the whole thing is handwritten.
2. I will not ask for feedback until I type it and then edit it to the best of my ability.
3. I will not discuss my plot or story line with anyone. (I think being slightly embarrassed about what I’m writing will help me keep my mouth shut.

A few days after I started my novel attempt I found this informative article from writer’s digest. http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/5-simple-steps-to-a-first-draft

From this article I learned or got inspired to:

1. Write regularly, routinely, and hopefully daily.
2. Do not worry about grammar, writing style, and accept that a first draft is a rough draft, nowhere near the final draft.
3. It’s okay to obsess over the storyline. The more you think it through the more likely the details will fall into place.
4. I can do this first draft within 90 days or three months.

Basically I’m amped to be writing this. Most nights since I started I’ve been writing non-stop for about an hour to an hour and a half. I write between 2 to 4 college ruled pages in tiny handwriting. I remember from previous attempts 1 page handwritten for me is equivalent to over 1 and a half printed pages double-spaced. I decided that each night’s writing will be an individual chapter. Making the chapters short and writing each one in one sitting should create more fluidity in the scenes.

I think on the printed page the chapters should average 3 to 7 pages. I multiplied this by 60 to 70 chapters overall, and that’s a good length for the novel, around 300 pages.  Doing it this way should take 60 or 70 nights of writing. So far I got 8 chapters, and I’m super stoked!!!!!!!!

Occasionally I’ll update my novel attempt trials and tribulations on this blog. But on the most part I will think of nice little quirky things to write about. Little fun entries take less time to write than my usual longwinded writing style, and may be more enjoyable for the reader too. Any suggestions welcome.