7 Promising Tips to Get the First Draft of Your Manuscript Ready

The most challenging part about writing a manuscript is not the final touches but finding the will and motivation to get started. From managing your work-life balance to feeling fully prepared to face a challenge, even the thought of doing so much can be overwhelming.

Today, writers have more opportunities than ever to publish their work. Hence, it cannot be called the hardest part of becoming a published author. Most aspiring authors can agree that writing is still the biggest challenge, and with good reasons.  For additional guidance on preparing your first draft, check out this helpful resource, and when you’re ready to take the next step, learn how to submit your manuscript to a publisher.

If you are also struggling with starting to write your manuscript, here are some amazing tips to consider.

1. Establish a Routine

The only way to start your journey towards successfully writing your manuscript is to create a writing routine and hold yourself accountable. You may think that you will not be able to keep up with a writing routine, but that can be changed if you set achievable goals.

Instead of rooting for writing a complete chapter every day, set realistic goals. Even if you think you can write only 300-400 words every day, go for it. The key to successfully completing your manuscript does not lie in how many words you write every day but in how consistently you write them.

In addition to deciding how many words you want to write, make sure that you also choose the time of the day you want to work on your manuscript. Whether you want to wake up early every day to write your manuscript or write on the weekends only, the choice is yours to make.

1. Create an Outline

One of the biggest favors you can do yourself as a blooming author is to create an outline. Your outline can be a roadmap for you on your writing journey. Whenever you feel lost, you can turn to your outline as a guide to get back on track.

While creating your outline, do not just divide it into chapters. Take some time to write a few details about the contents of these chapters, the characters, plot twists, and revelations. Holistically, add a beginning, middle, and ending as well.

Hire Help

Just because you cannot find time to write or edit your manuscript does not mean that you cannot achieve your dream of becoming a published author. Aspiring authors often seek ghost writers for hire to help them complete their work by the given deadline.

Similarly, you can also hire professional proofreaders and editors to meticulously read what you have compiled and enhance it in several ways. They not only provide feedback on grammatical errors or structural mistakes but also help you improve the cohesiveness of your manuscript.

In addition, you can also seek help from professional book cover designers to connect with your target audience even before they read a single word from your manuscript. These are just a few of the ways you can boost the potential of your manuscript by lending a helping hand.

1. Give Yourself Deadlines

If you want to write and publish your manuscript timely, you will need to hold yourself accountable first. The best way to get things done and stay on track is to give yourself weekly or monthly deadlines. 

You can measure your progress by the words you have written, the chapters you have completed, or the percentage of your work you have completed. You can associate a reward, such as going out for a celebration lunch or buying the dress you have been eyeing, with meeting your deadlines.

If you struggle with meeting deadlines, having an accountability partner by your side can be very helpful. You can ask your friends or family members to help you stay on track and hold you accountable. You can also consider hiring a writing coach to meet your goals.

Get Feedback

Although writing a manuscript may make one think that they will need only one draft to get the work done, that is not true. Completing your first draft is just the start of a long and arduous journey. You will need to write multiple drafts before you even consider shipping your book to the publishers.

Your manuscripts also need help from the right advisors to bring out the best in them. Hiring beta readers to go through your manuscript can be a step towards ensuring that your work is headed in the right direction.

From there on, you can also look for experienced developmental or structural editors to review your work and tell you how it can be improved further, keeping the target audience and market trends in mind. Early feedback can save you from rewriting your manuscript from scratch or facing failure.

Stay Motivated

You will face many setbacks and challenges as a blooming author. How you face these challenges is up to you. You can let these challenges make you feel lost or learn from them to grow stronger and become more resilient.

Whenever you feel lost or hopeless, you must turn to someone who believes in you and your vision. Whether you find comfort in spending time with your children or hanging out with your friends, do all you can to stay motivated.

Instead of seeing mistakes as the end of the road, you can see them as an opportunity to learn and grow as an aspiring author. Every lesson you learn writing your manuscript can help you boost your career in the long run.

Take a Break

Completing your manuscript is not a marathon. It is okay for you to take a break every now and then to catch your breath and start over again. Although the deadlines should never be neglected, you cannot overlook the importance of taking a break.

Once you have completed your manuscript, do not rush into the process of rereading and revising it. Take your time to celebrate your achievement and come back after some time to see your work with a fresh set of eyes and improve it with more enthusiasm.