One of the things I love most about writing fiction is that there’s no formula.
There’s no A + B = C equation you can plug your story into that will tell you if it’s working or if it’s done.
For me, this is thrilling and also somewhat unsettling.
But over the years, I’ve come to rely on a system to help me figure out when a first draft is done.
Since there isn’t a handy formula for fiction writing, there’s also no definitive way to tell when you’ve hit the end.
There are, of course, things you should do with a piece before you start thinking about it being DONE done (revise, edit, workshop, revise again, put it away for a while, etc), but how do you tell when your first draft is complete and ready for the next stage?
Read Your Piece In Full Without Editing
This is a helpful tactic throughout the entire process of writing a story, but I especially love it in the beginning.
If possible, print your story out and read it start to finish without making a single note or edit.
Read it aloud if you can. Take your time and try to imagine you’re a new reader experiencing the story for the first time.
Then…
Answer These Questions
Have I left anything off the page because I wanted to save it for later?
Write by hand and jot down any ideas, images, scenes, characters, etc. that you left out of the story (on purpose or not).
The first draft is no place to skimp on story elements. Put it all in, every word and image and idea.
Trust me. ALL OF IT.
If you’re holding anything back, you’re not done with your draft. Unless something truly doesn’t work in the story, write it in. You can take it out later, but it might also prove crucial for the story when you start revising.
Was I surprised while I wrote this? Or is there still room for surprises?
This question asks you to consider the possibility that there’s more story for you to still discover. The best way I know to determine that is to think about how many times I felt surprised while writing the draft.
By “surprised” I just mean that the story showed me something in the process of writing that I hadn’t anticipated.
It could be as simple as an image or as big as a major plot point. If I felt like the story was being revealed to me while I wrote it, then I feel confident my draft is done.
If I feel like I was too much in charge while writing and I saw everything coming, I will usually stick with a draft a while longer to unearth whatever surprises are left.
As Robert Frost famously said, “No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”
Put It Away For A While
I know it can feel hard to put a story away when you’re still in the honeymoon phase of a first draft, but this part is key.
Stop working it for a little while. I think a couple of weeks is the bare minimum, but longer if you can stand it. It’s your call, but here’s the thing:
The longer you’re away from a story, the clearer you can see it for what it is.
First drafts sometimes feel so precious while we’re writing them, we can’t really see beyond our own ego. Time away from a story helps to shift the mind so you can see your writing more objectively.
After some time away from a piece, you can read it again and tell if the draft is done or if you need to sit with it longer.
Another tip: start something new in the interim.
Or read everything you can get your hands on. Just try to shift your focus and cleanse your palette so you’ll feel less attached to your story when you go back to it.
While there’s no formula for telling if a first draft is done, these are a few tricks I use to ensure I’ve done everything possible with a story before moving onto the next stage.
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