Writers Write Is All About Writing
Writers Write Is All About Writing
First Draft Checklist For Novelists

First Draft Checklist For Novelists

In this post, we’ve included a simple first draft checklist for novelists to help you write your book.

First Draft Checklist For Novelists

For the last few weeks I have been writing about first draft planning. Visual aids are a great way to help keep you on track with plotting. They also act as a safety net when you veer off course.

This first draft worksheet will help you with that. You can follow this link to help you fill it out. (I have included a summary of this post below.)

6 Questions To Ask Before You Even Start Your First Draft

  1. Who is your protagonist and antagonist?
  2. Can you tell your story in three lines?
  3. Have you figured out your inciting moment?
  4. Have you identified your first, second and third surprises?
  5. Do you have your sub-plots in place?

Read these posts and then fill in the checklist.

First Draft Checklist For Novelists

Print the first draft checklist out, fill it in, and stick it to your wall.

Happy writing.

by Mia Botha

If you enjoyed this post, you will love:

  1. If John Green feels like fraud, how am I supposed to cope?
  2. 14 Things To Consider Before You Write The End
  3. 7 Ways Blogging Improves Your Writing
  4. 6 Reasons To Use A Sub-Plot (& How To Make It Work)
  5. 3 Surprises You Need In A Story
  6. So You Want To Be A Writer? By Charles Bukowski
  7. 3 Lines That Will Help You Write A Better First Draft
  8. How To Identify Your Protagonist And Antagonist
  9. 6 Questions To Ask Before You Even Start Your First Draft
  10. How To Turn Your Messy First Draft Into Something That Resembles A Novel

Top Tip: Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop.

Posted on: 26th August 2015
(20,056 views)

3 thoughts on “First Draft Checklist For Novelists”

  1. Alma van As

    Dear Mia,
    Thank you for this valuable tool for writing. I am a new writer and I have fumbled my way through the first draft of my first book. This will help me with my shaky plot. I love all the other posts that I have received from writerswrite. They have all been extremely useful for my stumbling venture into the writers world.

    Regards & best wishes
    Alma

  2. Mia Botha

    Thank you, Alma. I am glad that you find it helpful. Keep writing, you will find your stride. Good luck!

Comments are closed.