#192. 5 Big-Picture First Draft Mistakes (& How To Fix Them)

So stakes can be external things like life or death , winning or losing something tangible , things like that . Or they can be internal stakes , so things like their identity , their beliefs , relationships , things like that . Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast . My name is Savannah Gilbo and I'm here to help you write a story that works .

I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming . So each week , I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple , actionable and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing right away . So whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking to improve your craft , this podcast is for you .

So pick up a pen and let's get started . In today's episode , I'm sharing the five most common big picture problems I see in first drafts . Now , these aren't line level concerns like grammar or word choice . Those come later . And if you're curious about when exactly those come in the editing process .

I have a freebie that you will want to download that walks you through the 10 steps to editing your first draft . You can grab that by going to savannahgilbocom forward slash edit .

Now , like I was saying , the issues that we're going to talk about today , these are the foundational story elements that , when they're working , when they're strengthened , can really transform a struggling manuscript into a compelling novel that readers won't want to put down . So we're going to go through each mistake .

I'm going to talk about how I see these mistakes manifest and then I'm going to give you some quick tips for fixing these mistakes , if you've identified these problems in your manuscript . So let's go ahead and dive in , starting with mistake number one .

And mistake number one is that the story starts in the wrong place , and this is one of the most common issues I see with first drafts . The story either begins too early or too late .

Now , I know that finding that perfect entry point of where to start your story can really feel like trying to hit a moving target sometimes , but it's crucial in terms of hooking your reader from page one . So let's talk through some signs that maybe you've started your story a little too early .

First , if your opening chapters feel like they're building up to something significant , but that something doesn't happen until several chapters into the story , then you probably have started too early .

Another sign is that you might find yourself including extensive backstory , character introductions that don't connect to the main plot , or lengthy descriptions of the world before anything meaningful happens . Essentially , this is all like clearing your throat before you speak , right ? So let's talk about an example . Let's say your story is about a detective

who needs to solve a murder , but you spend the first three chapters detailing her morning routine , her childhood and her drive to work before the body is discovered .

In that case , you've likely started too early , and that example perfectly summarizes the two things I just talked through building up to something that doesn't happen until several chapters in , or including too much backstory , character introductions or lengthy descriptions before anything meaningful happens .

Okay , now let's flip this around and let's talk about some signs that you've started too late , because I see this happen too , and in this scenario , readers will feel like they've just been dropped into the middle of chaos with no orientation , so they're scrambling to figure out what's happening or why they should care , who they should care about things like that ,

and sometimes important relationships or events that really should be shown on the page are referenced as if they've already happened . So an example of this I saw the other day . I was looking at the first draft of a romance novel and what happened in this story was it started a week after the characters first meeting .

So that left readers feeling like they missed a crucial moment in that relationship's development and remember key scenes like this one in a romance where the couple is first meeting . That's a really significant moment in that type of story . So when you don't include things like that on the page , readers will feel cheated . Now let's talk about why this matters .

Why does it matter to start your story in the right place ? Well , we all know that readers make decisions about whether they're going to keep reading a book within the first few pages . If you start your story too early , they'll get bored , waiting for something to happen .

If you start it too late , they're going to feel confused and disconnected from your story and your characters . So let's talk about a quick fix for what to do if you've started your story too early or too late . I would ask yourself this one question what is the inciting incident that truly sets your story in motion .

I will link to another episode of this podcast . It's episode number 26 , where I talk about how to write a great , inciting incident for your story that sets everything into motion . So if you're not sure , I would definitely recommend listening to that episode and identifying this moment in your story .

And the reason is is because the ideal starting point for your story is usually just before this event , and that's because we want to give readers just enough context to understand its significance without that unnecessary preamble starts in the wrong place . So either too early or too late , all right .

So the second big mistake I see is that there's just not enough conflict , and I really should say there's not enough compelling conflict . And we all know that stories without strong conflict are like cars without engines they just won't go anywhere .

Right , but a lot of first drafts I see suffer from conflict that's either too weak , too vague or just entirely missing . So what does compelling conflict look like ? Well , compelling conflict isn't just quote-unquote bad stuff happening to your character .

Really , it should be a direct opposition to what your protagonist desperately wants or needs , and it should force difficult choices and create tension on every single page . So here are some signs that the conflict in your story isn't strong enough . Number one your protagonist gets what they want too easily .

Number two there's no clear force of opposition , whether that's a person , society , nature , themselves , whatever . Number three nothing truly challenges your character's beliefs or forces them to grow and change . Number four your protagonist is mainly an observer rather than an active participant

in the story . And number five your scenes feel pleasant , but they lack tension . So those are five signs that the conflict in your story isn't yet strong enough .

Now remember that the best way to get your character to grow and change is going to require you to put pressure on them , and that's because people rarely change without being pushed to their limits , and the same is true for our characters .

Without having sufficient conflict pushing them towards that change , your protagonist is just going to remain static , and static characters rarely make for compelling stories . So let's say that you've made this mistake in your draft , or you've identified that the conflict in your story just isn't strong enough . How do we fix that ?

Well , here are two questions that you can ask yourself to really hone on what you'll need to do to fix it . Number one what does my protagonist want more than anything ? And then number two what's the worst yet believable thing that could stand in their way ? The answers to these two questions will help you form the backbone of your story's conflict .

So if this is something you need to work on in your story , I want you to consider both external conflicts , so these are visible obstacles , like antagonists or natural disasters or things like that , and also internal conflicts , so inner struggles , like fear , guilt or competing desires . The most powerful stories , the ones that stick with us for years and years .

These often feature both types of conflict working in tandem and on that note , I'm going to link to two different podcasts for you in the show notes , if this is something you need to work on . So the first one is episode number 149 , and in this episode I share five questions to help you develop your antagonist .

So if you need help getting to the root of who your antagonist is , what they want and why , go listen to that episode and that'll help you flesh out the external conflict that your character faces . I'm also going to link to episode number 145 , which is all about how to develop your character's backstory .

So if you haven't done this work yet , or if you're feeling like the internal conflict your character faces could be stronger , then I definitely recommend listening to that episode . All right , so that is mistake number two . There's not enough compelling conflict to move the story forward and make the story impactful .

Mistake number three is that there's a lack of narrative drive , and narrative drive is really just what keeps readers turning the pages . It's what pushes your story forward through clear cause and effect relationships between events . So what does that look like ?

So let's say that your current draft features a series of disconnected scenes where things just kind of happen to your protagonist rather than because of their choices . Then you're likely lacking that sense of narrative drive .

So this might feel like this happened in this scene , then this happened in this scene and then this other thing happened in this other scene , with no real clear connection between each scene or each event . And this is what I like to call the . So what problem ?

Readers finish a scene and instead of being pulled into the next one , they pause and they think , well . So what problem ? Readers finish a scene and , instead of being pulled into the next one , they pause and they think , well , so what ? Why should I care what happens next ? And this is important because , unlike real life , which is often random and chaotic .

Stories need to follow an internal logic that creates meaning . So

each scene needs to grow naturally from what came before it and plant seeds for what comes after it . This deliberate type of cause and effect chain is what's going to distinguish a story that's well crafted from a story that's full of just a sequence of events . So if you think you have this problem in your draft , let's talk about how to fix it .

I want you to go through each one of your scenes and ask yourself does this scene happen because of choices made in previous scenes ? Does it force new choices that will affect future scenes ? If not , then you might need to strengthen all the connections between scenes or reconsider whether a particular scene belongs in your story at all .

And if you want to zoom out and just kind of evaluate the biggest picture of your story , so maybe , like your main plot points , you can just ask yourself this exercise is going to quickly reveal where that sense of narrative drive in your story breaks down and or where it needs reinforcement .

And if you want to go deeper into this topic on narrative drive , I'm going to link in the show notes to episode number 13 . That one's called five things that kill narrative drive and how to fix it . So if you think you have this problem in your draft , I highly recommend checking out that episode .

All right , so that is mistake number three a lack of narrative drive . Now , mistake number four is that there's nothing significant at stake . Stakes are what give your story emotional weight , and they answer that really important question why does this matter ? And without clear stakes , even the most beautifully written manuscript is going to feel hollow .

And without clear stakes , even the most beautifully written manuscript is going to feel hollow . So what are stakes really ? Well , stakes represent what your protagonist stands to lose or gain , based on the outcome of their journey . So stakes can be external things like life or death , winning or losing something tangible , things like that .

Or they can be internal stakes , so things like their identity , their beliefs , relationships , things like that . So here are some signs that the stakes in your story aren't high enough . Number one the consequences of failure feel minimal or unclear . Number two your protagonist could walk away from their goal with little or no cost .

Number three the reader feels no anxiety about potential outcomes . Number four characters don't seem truly invested in the results . And number five the story feels safe and predictable . Now let's talk about how to raise the stakes in your story effectively , especially if you've identified

this as one of the problems in your manuscript . And contrary to popular belief , raising the stakes does not mean making everything bigger or more dramatic . Instead , I would recommend focusing on making the stakes more personal and specific to your character , and to do that , you can ask yourself these three questions .

Number one what would be the worst possible outcome for this specific character ? Number two what matters most to this character personally ? And number three what is this character afraid of losing specifically ? And the answers you come up with should guide you toward stakes that feel both significant and authentic to your story .

Now , something else I want to mention here is that different genres have different expectations for stakes . So , in a thriller , the stakes might be around saving lives , while in a romance , the stakes center around finding or losing love .

So , yes , I want you to ask yourself the questions we just went over , to get to know what's at stake for your protagonist specifically , but I also want you to think in terms of your genre , because understanding the expectations readers will have of a story like yours is just going to help you deliver that kind of emotional experience and reading experience that

they are seeking . Okay , so that is mistake number four . There's nothing significant at stake . And that brings us to mistake number five unresolved story promises . And what I mean by this is that every story makes promises to its readers , starting from that very first page .

These promises create expectations about the type of story being told and the emotional experience readers can anticipate . And when those promises go unfulfilled , readers feel cheated , even if they can't really articulate why . So what are story promises ? Well , story promises can include elements like genre signals .

So , for example , if there's a dead body in chapter one , that's going to promise that a mystery will be solved . So , for example , if there's a dead body in chapter one , that's going to promise that a mystery will be solved . So it promises that if they keep reading , we will find out who done it or why done it .

Story promises can also include elements like character goals that were established early on in the draft . So , for example , if your protagonist wants to win a competition that seems really important to them , readers are going to expect to see this play out and they will want to know did that person win or lose ?

Story promises also include elements like themes introduced at the beginning . So if you're exploring forgiveness early on in your story , then readers are going to expect some kind of resolution or some kind of lesson learned on this theme . And then , lastly , your story's emotional tone also makes a promise to the reader .

So , for example , if your story starts out feeling pretty humorous , that's going to set expectations for a generally lighthearted or humorous story . So just some things to think about . And I wanna tell you kind of the biggest way that I see this mistake manifest , and it's what I like to call a story with a genre identity crisis .

So what this looks like is a story will start out being one type of story and then it ends being another type of story . So , for example , imagine you start out reading a draft that feels like a romance and then at the end there is an emphasis on solving a crime instead of resolving the relationship .

Now , of course , you can write a story where both things happen , right . You can write , let's say , a crime story with a romantic subplot or vice versa , but there does need to be that one central through line that makes the promise in the beginning and delivers on the promise in the end .

And let's talk about why this happens , because it is more common than I think most people would believe . So often , writers will discover new and interesting directions while they're drafting , and then they follow these new paths without circling back , to fulfill their initial promises , and this type of exploration is really valuable during the first draft .

But once you're done writing the first draft , it's time to make deliberate decisions about what kind of story you're telling , and then , throughout the revision process , you can make sure your story delivers on whatever you've decided , all right . So let's talk about how to identify if your draft has this issue .

What you can do is review your opening scenes or chapters and note what kind of expectations you're setting . So what kind of questions are being raised ? What type of story are you promising Then ? What would a satisfying resolution to these elements look like ? Then I want you to go to the ending of your story and compare it .

So do the final scenes or chapters deliver on those early promises , or has your story drifted into a different territory ? If it's the latter , that is okay , but you will need to either revise your beginning to align with your actual story or adjust your ending to fulfill your original promises , all right .

And if you want to go deeper into learning more about how to craft a through line for your story . I want you to go back and listen to episode number 118 . That one's called how to Find the Major Dramatic Question of your Story and I will link to go back and listen to episode number 118 .

That one's called how to Find the Major Dramatic Question of your Story and I will link to that one in the show notes as well . All right , so that is mistake number five unresolved story promises . Now let's do a quick recap and then I have some final thoughts for you . So don't go anywhere just yet , all right .

So mistake number one is starting your story in the wrong place , either too early or too late , and remember , the fix to this is identifying your story's inciting incident and starting your story just before that event occurs . Mistake number two is not having enough meaningful conflict , and remember this isn't just about having bad stuff happen to your character .

It's more about creating meaningful conflicts and obstacles that will put pressure on your protagonist and eventually force them to grow and change . Mistake number three is a lack of narrative drive . So what this tends to look like is just a bunch of stuff that happens with no clear cause and effect from scene to scene .

So to fix this , you'll just want to review each of your scenes and think about how the scenes before it are affecting that scene , as well as how that scene will affect the scenes that come later . Mistake number four is that there's nothing significant at stake . And remember , fixing this is not about

making things bigger or more dramatic . It's really more about making things more personal and specific to your character . You'll also want to consider the typical stakes of your genre and see how that plays into things as well . And then , lastly , mistake number five is unresolved story promises .

And , as I said , usually this manifests as one half of the draft will look differently or be a different type of story than the other half of the story is . So to fix this , you'll just want to compare your beginning and your ending and say did I raise the appropriate question in the beginning and did I answer that in a satisfying way at the end ?

All right . So if you've identified some or all of these issues in your manuscript , that doesn't mean your story's broken . So just take a deep breath . Having this kind of awareness and being able to recognize these problems in your draft is such a huge skill that many writers never develop .

So , yes , I know it's a little painful to realize there are issues you need to fix , but again , that's what first drafts are for right . First drafts are supposed to be exploratory , and that's because sometimes the only way to discover what your story is truly about is to write all the way through to the end .

So now that you have all that raw material to work with , you can start the revision process with clarity and purpose . And if this still feels overwhelming , I want you to go download the free guide that will walk you through 10 steps to editing your messy first draft , because in that guide , it's going to tell you how to approach revision strategically .

So what I don't want you to do is to dive right into line level editing before you've addressed these big picture issues . You've probably heard me say this before , but there's no point perfecting your sentences in scenes that might ultimately be cut or significantly changed .

So that's what this guide will help you avoid doing , and it will also help you make a strategic plan for tackling your revisions . You can download that for free at savannagilbocom forward slash edit . So one more time , that's savannagilbocom forward slash edit . Now the last thing I want to say is that , as you revise , please be patient with yourself .

These big picture foundational elements do take time to get right , but doing all this work , investing your time in this now , is going to pay off tremendously in terms of the quality of your final manuscript . So trust that your story is worth the effort and keep moving forward . So that's it for today's episode .

As always , thank you so much for tuning in and for showing your support . If you want to check out any of the links I mentioned in this episode , you can find them in the show notes listed in the description of each episode , inside your podcast player or at savannahgilbocom forward slash podcast .

If you're an Apple user , I'd really appreciate it if you took a few seconds to leave a rating and a review . Your ratings and reviews tell Apple that this is a podcast that's worth listening to and , in turn , your reviews will help this podcast get in front of more fiction writers just like you .

And while you're there , go ahead and hit that follow button , because there's going to be another brand new episode next week , full of actionable tips , tools and strategies to help you become a better writer . So I'll see you next week and until then , happy writing .