Whenever, I finish what I would call a complete(ish) draft of a manuscript, and before sending it to my personal editor, I print it out — eight pages to a sheet — so I can review it carefully in physical form. There is something about holding the pages in my hands that makes it easier to see what’s working, what needs tightening, and what no longer belongs.
Table of contents
When people imagine writing a book, they often picture a clean, flowing process. The reality looks very different. My first drafts are rarely polished. They are layered with typos, half-formed transitions, awkward phrasing, and notes to myself in the margins. And that’s intentional.
Why I always start with an outline
One of the most important parts of my first draft writing process is outlining before I ever begin drafting. Every book I’ve written starts with a detailed structure, not just chapter titles, but a thoughtful map of how the ideas should develop.
Without that structure, I tend to wander. I’ll follow a tangent that feels interesting in the moment, only to realize later that it doesn’t serve the overall purpose of the book.
It’s important to know that am outline doesn’t limit your creativity. Instead, it gives it direction and keeps the manuscript moving forward.
That structure is also what supports the work I do before the manuscript ever reaches my publisher. I talk more about that front-end preparation in How I Write a Book Proposal (From Concept to Submission).
Writing early and returning when life interrupts
For many seasons, early mornings worked best for me. There were periods where I woke up at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. to write for an hour before the rest of the day began. That quiet time allowed me to think clearly before business responsibilities and family needs took over.
At the same time, I don’t pretend that I write every single day without interruption. There are weeks when other deadlines require my attention. What has mattered more than perfect consistency is having the habit of returning to the manuscript after those pauses and continuing the work.
Over time, I’ve realized that sustainable writing isn’t about intensity. It’s about building a rhythm you can maintain.
I explore that idea more fully in I’ve Written 6 Books In 8 Years: What That Has Taught Me About Building A Sustainable Author Career.
Allowing the first draft to be imperfect
One decision that changed my first draft writing process was turning off error checking while I write. My first drafts are filled with spelling mistakes, grammatical issues, and awkward phrasing. And I let them be.
If I stop to polish every sentence as I go, I lose momentum and I get stuck. I learned this very quickly while writing my first book. The goal of the first draft is movement. Editing is a separate phase that requires a different mindset.
Understanding that difference has helped me move through manuscripts more efficiently and with less self criticism.
Backing up the manuscript and protecting the work
I am extremely careful about my file management. Auto-save is always on. Everything is backed up to the cloud. Multiple copies exist.
Losing a manuscript would mean losing months of mental effort (um not happening!), so protecting the file is simply part of my process. It is necessary.
Working with an editor before submission
Before any manuscript goes to my publisher, it goes through my own editor first. Working with a developmental editor outside of my publisher’s assigned team has become a consistent part of how I prepare a draft for submission.
That extra layer of review helps identify gaps, strengthen arguments, and ensure the writing flows logically. By the time the manuscript reaches my publisher, it has already been refined significantly.
Even then, edits continue. I have made changes late in the process, sometimes even during audiobook recording. That tendency toward refinement is something I’ve learned to manage thoughtfully, and it’s one of the realities I often discuss when people ask about my writing process in interviews.
I share more of those behind-the-scenes conversations in 10 Good Questions To Ask An Author + My Honest Answers As A 6x Bestselling Author.
Final thoughts: What a first draft really represents to me
From the outside, publishing often appears polished and seamless. Behind the scenes, however, the process is far more iterative and layered. It involves printed drafts marked up with notes, sections rearranged for better flow, ideas rewritten or removed entirely, and moments of uncertainty before things really become clear.
A first draft is not meant to be impressive. Its purpose is to give you something to shape and refine.
Every book I’ve published started as a document I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to see. It took patience, discipline, and more rounds of revision than I can count to shape it into something I felt proud to put into the world.
The process of writing your first draft is proof that you can create a body of work. What matters next is being willing to sit with it, return to it, and refine it thoughtfully to make that body of work your best.