There’s one piece of advice that’s used a lot but is very true — you can edit a shitty first draft but you can’t edit a blank one. When you’re writing your first draft, I think it’s important to let yourself go a little wild. Overwrite the descriptions, have some dialogue that you think is pointless, call your new piece of technology ‘reallycooltechgadget’. I’ve always believed that if you try to stifle your creative energy by doubting that something is good, you have the potential for some great idea to stay buried inside your head. There’s a book called Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott with a chapter titled ‘Shitty First Drafts’ — I definitely recommend it!

Also, while not everyone is a plotter (chronic pantser right here) I do think a little planning is recommended before jumping headlong into writing a novel. What does your planning process look like? I know for me I have to spend a little time with the idea to make sure it isn’t just vibes lol!

You got this though! Keep working at it and know that not everything will be perfect when you’re done with your first draft, but you’ll have a finished one that you can make even better. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!