zero drafting my way to... edits?

Three months into the new year and I’m already behind on this newsletter 🙃 It’s fine. Everything is fine.

2023 is going great, isn’t it?

This is going to be a bit more of a general update (of sorts) because I’m thinking more about how I use this space and maybe, possibly getting back into the blogging mindset (here on substack).

Have ideas of what you’d like to see from me? Let me know in the comments!

since last time…

I’ve become absolutely feral about Hozier’s new EP (specifically “Eat Your Young”) (just ask my writing group 😅). I’ve had it on repeat since it dropped earlier this month. In that same vein, Paris Paloma’s “Labour” just dropped this past week and is also excellent. Living in this vibe for the next month at least.

After… at least a year? I feel like it’s been two… anyway, I’m finally caught up on all the episodes of Worldbuilding for Masochists! This is, by far, my favorite worldbuilding podcast and just a favorite podcast in general. I’m excited to be able to listen to new episodes right away. (And yes, I know I could have before but I struggle not going in order with podcasts (and a lot of other things…) so my brain said no. Until now!)

I started and am almost finished with Love Between Fairy and Devil, a Chinese drama with some serious grumpy/sunshine vibes plus magic and drama and scheming and I’m obsessed. It’s on Netflix. Would recommend.

I wrote a short story for the first time in ~7 years. Its quality is… questionable, but that’s something to fix in edits. For now, I’m letting it revel in all its aesthetic glory until I have the mental space to dive back in and polish it up.

And also on the writing front, I embraced zero drafting! This has been the biggest shift for me (and my writing) and I love it. My outlines have always been more narrative (and unnecessarily long 😅) so I’m all in with this sort of hybrid approach and the words are flowing much better. Yes, that’s important. I loathe drafting. So much. I just want to get to the edits! Which requires… words.

Oh, and apparently I’m not just a mood reader, but also a mood writer so that’s fun. Let’s just chase ALL the project ideas at the same time. It’s fine. I’ll make it work. Maybe.

Hopefully.

Look, writing is hard and I’m not here to pretend that I have my process figured out. With each new project, I learn more about myself as a writer, and sometimes what worked before doesn’t work anymore. Just gotta lean in to it!

writing updates and the glory that is the zero draft

Because that’s a thing. That I’m doing. Most days.

As I mentioned, I’m trying zero drafting which — for me — looks like a cross between a narrative outline format (which is my go-to) and the actual prose of a first draft. Lots of telling myself what’s happening but mixed with snippets of dialogue and a bit of character voice for good measure.

Some might call that a first draft. Others an outline. For me, “zero draft” motivates me because I’m drafting (even if it’s not the prose I’ll eventually be editing), but it’s low/no pressure. I’m not worried about how I phrase something or if the dialogue is stilted or I over-described a building.

Less pressure = increased writing speed/capacity

Is speed important? Depends on your goals! My hatred of drafting means I want to get through it as quickly as possible so I can shape the rough clay into something beautiful. The sooner I reach the end, the sooner I can edit.

If you’re struggling to get through a draft, maybe give zero drafting a try! And please let me know if you do, I’d love to hear how it goes for you! I love hearing how other writers approach their process as there’s no one way to write a story.

a year of 23… or not? maybe?

Why oh why did I think it was a good idea to set myself a year-long posting goal?? You’d think I’d learn! Alas, I have not and now have not one but two lists to catch up on — one on things I love (in general), the other a list of book recommendations.

Or… hear me out… I can just give you a link to a bunch of my favorite books on Bookshop and we’ll just skip the other list.

That work? I think it can work. You’re still getting books out of the deal and don’t have to listen to me ramble more so, really, seems good to me.

currently reading

I’ve started in on the absolute joy that is The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry. I added Parry to my auto-buy list after reading A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians (which I wholeheartedly recommend for historical fantasy fans who want to get on the ground of a revolution through the eyes of increasingly complex characters).

The rest of my recent reads have been far too many indie romances that were definitely not on my TBR, so I haven’t been able to cross anything off there but have read some solid fluff and smut which I’m all here for.

Stay tuned for a new content feature on the horizon that I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I have putting it together!

Hope you have a wonderful week!

💜 austine

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