Daniel’s Reviews > On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft > Status Update

13: Don’t do research on your rough draft. Nobody will read your rough draft to point out all the incorrect facts. Your second draft is where you smooth those details out. It helps with creating backstory and realism. Keep research requirements to a minimum by sticking with what you know.

12: cut down back story. Cut your second draft to be 10% shorter than your first. Cut out the boring stuff and you’ll naturally have a good pace for your story.

11:
Don’t show anyone your rough draft. Write as quickly as possible in your rough draft. Don’t do research, don’t edit, just upload your brain to the page as fast as you can until it’s done. I mean it!
Once done, wait 6 weeks or longer before reading and 2nd draft.
Your 2nd draft is the heavy rewrite. Find the theme. Make the scenes make sense. Write FOR an audience.

10:
Theme is useful to consider when experiencing writer’s block and when you are starting your second draft. However, never start a story with a theme. The theme will present itself as you write.

9:
Writing is a practice. It should feel fun and never exhausting or strenuous. Think of it like you are archaeologist uncovering dinosaur bones. Both in how steadily and slowly you must use your tools, but also knowing when to quit or knowing when you don’t actually have a fossil to dig up and throwing the story out in your archive.

8: draw characters from what you know and let them decide what to do.

7: write dialogue how people speak. It takes practice and listening to how people actually talk.

6:
When writing descriptions, say what you see then get on with the story. It’s easier to over describe than under describe.

Plotting is a big no-no. Be a “pants-er” (I always felt this was the right way to write but unfortunately followed advice of unknown authors with Youtube channels)

Write about work/jobs. Write about what you know.