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The 10 Stages Of Drafting A Novel

From "I'm a GENIUS" to "what are words?" and back again.

Kate Randazzo
Aug 25, 2015
Georgetown University
14
The 10 Stages Of Drafting A Novel
Publishing Industry Insights

1. Brilliant idea, check. Open Word document, check. Huge pot of coffee, check. Let's do this thing.

2. I'm in awe of my own brilliance. Look at that stirring description, that perfectly crafted piece of dialogue. Look how cleverly I subverted that tired cliche! This is quality literature. Going to win a Pulitzer for sure.

3. THREE CHAPTERS IN ONE WEEK KILLING IT, YEAH.

4. Sudden 3 a.m. revelation: my characters are unrealistic, my setting is poorly developed, and my plot is riddled with holes.

5. Where am I going with this? Who are my characters? Who am I? What are words?

6. I don't deserve to call myself a writer. After college, I should just move to Sicily and become a goat herder.

7. I never want to look at this document again. Unless it's to print it out, light it on fire, and toss the ashes off a cliff.

8. What's this? A sudden breakthrough? Renewed desire to see this through to the end? I must be hallucinating. Oh well. Power through, self. Go toward that light!

9. VICTORY! I DID IT! I DID IT! LOOK AT WHAT I'VE CREATED!

10. Well, this is terrible. Looks like I'll have to rewrite the entire thing.

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