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Surviving First Drafts: Motivation & Advice for the Art of Writing
A rough first draft is like an opinion: everyone has one, few are pleasant, and most people should think twice before airing it to the public without considering their words a second time. Everyone knows first drafts suck. They’re a headache to write, and don’t even get me started on the mess of grammar there is to sort through during revisions! But, unfortunately, they’re unavoidable.
But there’s no need to pull out all of your hair in frustration! You, like so many authors before, can conquer the first draft, and this book is here to help you survive the most grueling stage of the writing process. Learn about the five stages of first draft grief and how to overcome them. Discover what style of writer you are. Know when to ignore temptation from shiny new ideas and when to give in. Condition yourself not to fear the blank page and look forward to revisions.
With a healthy dose of motivation and advice, Surviving First Drafts will equip you with all the tools you need to make it to the end of your manuscript, no matter how bleak the journey ahead looks. YOU GOT THIS!
But there’s no need to pull out all of your hair in frustration! You, like so many authors before, can conquer the first draft, and this book is here to help you survive the most grueling stage of the writing process. Learn about the five stages of first draft grief and how to overcome them. Discover what style of writer you are. Know when to ignore temptation from shiny new ideas and when to give in. Condition yourself not to fear the blank page and look forward to revisions.
With a healthy dose of motivation and advice, Surviving First Drafts will equip you with all the tools you need to make it to the end of your manuscript, no matter how bleak the journey ahead looks. YOU GOT THIS!
- GenresWriting
56 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2015
5 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Erica Crouch
24 books241 followersErica Crouch is a fiction writer and genre hopper. She has co-founded two publishing collectives, Patchwork Press and Weapenry, and has produced nine novels and two screenplays. Originally from Ellicott City, Erica has since moved into the heart of Annapolis, Maryland where she continues to write while studying law.
Read more about her online at ericacrouch.com.
Read more about her online at ericacrouch.com.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 5, 2015
The way Erica describes the writing process is SO relatable. I especially loved the five stages of first draft grief. All very true. As a bonus, Erica is pretty funny and I found myself chuckling quite often. I also found out that I am an "astronaut" style writer. Which is great, because I've never had a word to describe it before. And if you want to know what that means, you'll just have to read the book.
December 18, 2015
This is a great book for writers, especially beginners. Surviving First Drafts is a quick and easy read that is packed full of helpful tips and lots of humor. I give it 4.5 stars. One thing I wasn't expecting was the profanity in it. With that being said, I'd recommend this book to anyone that doesn't mind the occasional swear word and is looking for a way to manage those first draft woes. I trust you will find it helpful, funny, encouraging and motivational. To see my full review of this book, please visit http://p413life.com/book-review-survi... and thanks for taking the time to ready my reviews. I hope you find them helpful.
October 7, 2015
Very helpful, informative, funny, and motivational.
November 12, 2015
Read this as my"productive procrastinating" today. Good tips and could hear your Youtube personality fly off the page and made me smile and feel encouraged. :)
December 20, 2015
Funny and motivational.
November 29, 2015
A great read before and during NaNoWriMo!
October 26, 2017
Erica has a great voice. Humorous, engaging, and very knowledgeable about her own writing and the craft of writing in general. Great insights on things like:
• Types of writers
• How to avoid "Shiny new ideas"
• Her personal writing process
• The 5 stages of the First Draft
If you're struggling with your first book or your tenth book, you know how stressful the first draft stage can be. Erica is here to help. Her advice is timeless and priceless. Get it while it's such a great price (Kindle)!
Warning: Contains mature language (my only complaint, and the reason I only left 4 stars).
• Types of writers
• How to avoid "Shiny new ideas"
• Her personal writing process
• The 5 stages of the First Draft
If you're struggling with your first book or your tenth book, you know how stressful the first draft stage can be. Erica is here to help. Her advice is timeless and priceless. Get it while it's such a great price (Kindle)!
Warning: Contains mature language (my only complaint, and the reason I only left 4 stars).
October 31, 2017
Definitely great to read the day before NaNoWriMo starts!
December 28, 2016
Surviving First Drafts is a fun little book that talks you through how to finish your first draft like any BFF would - with plenty of jokes, swears, and compassion. This book was definitely inspiring to me, and is a book I will be revisiting in the future whenever I need a kick in the pants.
What impacted me the most from this book was talking about the stages of grief in relation to writing. I had never really looked at a rough draft in that way before. In hindsight, I’m not sure why I’ve never seen it before, because it seems so clear and obvious now. That combined with the journey of self that I learned in Plot Whisperer has really made a difference in how I approach writing.
This book does have a very casual feel to it though, which is endearing a lot of the time and makes it feel like you’re chatting with a friend. But other times it makes the book almost feel a little rough, like the author only edited to correct typos.
Overall, this was a very fun and useful book. If you’re someone who is maybe currently in the middle of a rough draft and unsure where to go, then this is a great read to kick your butt into gear and get you finally writing again.
What impacted me the most from this book was talking about the stages of grief in relation to writing. I had never really looked at a rough draft in that way before. In hindsight, I’m not sure why I’ve never seen it before, because it seems so clear and obvious now. That combined with the journey of self that I learned in Plot Whisperer has really made a difference in how I approach writing.
This book does have a very casual feel to it though, which is endearing a lot of the time and makes it feel like you’re chatting with a friend. But other times it makes the book almost feel a little rough, like the author only edited to correct typos.
Overall, this was a very fun and useful book. If you’re someone who is maybe currently in the middle of a rough draft and unsure where to go, then this is a great read to kick your butt into gear and get you finally writing again.
October 23, 2016
Yes, I would recommend you read this, VERY INFORMATIVE for a beginner like myself!!
Overview:
I read this book to get a sense of direction when it comes to writing a novel for NaNoWriMo this year. I recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, informative read about writing their first draft. Erica had a humorous writing style that is silly and keeps you entertained. She is motivating and keeps it real about how you should approach writing your first draft. I like that.
Downfall:
I did find a few spelling errors throughout the book which was a reason I knocked it down a star. "The" should have been "they" and another one I can't quite remember.
Another star deduction was for the last 25 pages or so. A lot of ramblings and repetitive portions. I knew it was going into the conclusion and therefore recapping what was previously talked about but it felt like there was a conclusion and then a secondary conclusion repeating the first one only with different words.
Overview:
I read this book to get a sense of direction when it comes to writing a novel for NaNoWriMo this year. I recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, informative read about writing their first draft. Erica had a humorous writing style that is silly and keeps you entertained. She is motivating and keeps it real about how you should approach writing your first draft. I like that.
Downfall:
I did find a few spelling errors throughout the book which was a reason I knocked it down a star. "The" should have been "they" and another one I can't quite remember.
Another star deduction was for the last 25 pages or so. A lot of ramblings and repetitive portions. I knew it was going into the conclusion and therefore recapping what was previously talked about but it felt like there was a conclusion and then a secondary conclusion repeating the first one only with different words.
January 30, 2017
Great advice for all writers
This book offers useful advice for all writers, whether you are writing your first book or your fifth. Erica is witty and keeps you laughing. Check her out on the YouTube channel Word Nerds.
This book offers useful advice for all writers, whether you are writing your first book or your fifth. Erica is witty and keeps you laughing. Check her out on the YouTube channel Word Nerds.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews