In this module, we are going to talk about strategies you can use to write your first draft. These strategies are intended to help you get words on the page and actually finish your first draft.

Through all of this, don't forget about your writing plan. You can work towards a word count goal, a time goal, a scene/chapter goal, etc. to help you make it through the first draft.

In my experience as a writer and in working with writers, I think it is to a writer's advantage to get through the first draft as efficiently as possible. I'm not advocating for sloppy work if your brain doesn't handle that well (for instance, I'm a writer who needs to feel good about what I'm writing, so I take a little more care the first time around), but I am encouraging you to avoid stalling. It can be hard to maintain momentum through the drafting process. Consistent work and writing new material (aka, not re-working the first chapter twenty times!) helps with the positive mindset you need to make it to the end.