How To Write a Novel: The 5 Draft Method

Tips, Pointers, Alternate Ideas and Suggestions

What isn't covered here is how to get published. That isn't the goal of this guide. That will depend on a lot of variable such as do you get an agent or not, how will you submit your manuscript, etc. However, there are some key points that should be addressed that will help that transition from your final draft to the publishing world. Following is a list of suggestions (in general and by draft) that will help make the entire process a little easier for you.  If you have more suggestions, comments, questions or remarks, please submit them to me either by commenting here on this story or by sending me a message here on Wattpad. I will answer every comment and question that appears.

* When you use the computer for your drafts use a rich text editor such as Microsoft Word. Stay away from Notepad or other plain text editors. You can't format them.

* Formatting is easy for manuscripts: Set your margins to 1" all the way around. Use either Courier New or Arial font face only, set to 12pt. Double space the entire document.

* Added formatting: use the header to number your pages! ALWAYS number your pages. The correct header format will be: your last name, the book title and page number... on every page.

* The cover, or title page will have the "title" of your book, one carriage return "by your name" another carriage return and "word count: #####" (obviously replace "your name" with your actual name and "#####" with the word count of your finished script). Do NOT be exact, round up to the nearest 1000s. So, for example, if your final word count is 73,457 you write "Word Count: 74,000"

* Stay away from bold and italic font as much as possible. Never bold at all, ever, and only use italics when absolutely needed. Publishers hate this and it will all be removed anyway. If you feel that you have to use italics for emphasis, try to see if you can reword something to make it sound better without using italics.

For the Rough Draft:

* Remember that nothing is as important as getting the bones of the story down on paper. Don't even try to get a perfect story, it won't happen. Just write the story down. You will flesh it out in the later drafts, that's what they are designed for. Let the 5 Draft Method do its job.

*Write at least 3 pages every single day. No matter how hard or how horrible, write it down anyway. You will thank me later.

For Draft Two:

* You really cannot go too far with adding stuff for this draft. Don't be afraid of words, instead make them work for you. You will be surprised how easy it is to turn a sentence into a couple of paragraphs, a paragraph into a few pages.

* Rethink, reword, regroup. If something just isn't sounding right, or its just not making sense, now is the time to fix it. Perhaps the whole paragraph needs to be removed, do it. Maybe it needs to be rewritten. Do it. Make it work for you. You still have 3 more drafts to help smooth it all out.

* Draft two is optimal for adding in mini-climaxes and plot twists. Your rough draft is very linear, so use draft two to add the excitement of side stories and side plots. Make the novel gripping, original and enticing.

*If the reader isn't hooked within the first 10 pages, they will never be hooked. Remember this. Especially for agents and publishers. They will only read the first 20 pages at most. If they aren't enthralled, both by the story itself and your writing ability, they will never look at it again. Your ending may be spectacular and the most awesome ending in the history of endings. If your opening sucks though, no one will ever know how it ends.

For Draft Three:

* Write, write, write and then write some more. No other draft will take as long to work on and complete as Draft 3.  Make it count. Get to your word count goal, if you go over your word count goal, its okay. If you do go over, then use Draft 4 to edit out some unnecessary fluff or filler.

* Add chapters, characters, details in this draft. Just make sure anything you add that is significant (such as a new chapter) goes through all the drafts and edits that the rest of the story has to this point. Don't leave any part behind.

*This is the final draft of your work for all manner of purposes. The rest is just making it shine. Put your heart into this draft. It will show in the end.

For Draft Four:

* Learn to be mean to yourself, and find others that love you enough to be mean to your work as you would. Don't get discouraged when you get criticized. That's the point. Find the weak and make it strong.

* If you go through and find no errors or can make no red pen edits, then you are fooling yourself. Be more critical or find someone who can.

* You are going to be your worst critic. So when you make yourself happy, you know you're on to something. Keep going with it.

For Draft Five:

* It's never really over. You just have to know when enough is enough. If you wait long enough and come back, you will always find a way to tinker and make changes. Don't do this! Once you tell yourself Draft 5 is done, it is done. Leave it alone. An Agent or Editor will take it from here. Any changes that need to be made will come back to you then.

* Don't forget to congratulate yourself. Its not easy to just sit down and write a full length novel. And if you are over 70,000 words, that is just what you have done. Be proud of that. Be damn proud.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope it helps some of you reach your goals.

~JT