Fiction, from the First Draft Forward: At Least the Hard Part is Over...I Think

Welcome to Fiction, from the First Draft Forward, a little blurb about the undertaking of a fledgling writer going from first draft to querying agents and beyond.

So, you’ve made the decision that you’re going to do it. You’re going to pursue your dream, no matter the weird looks you get from family and friends. No matter the snide remarks, no matter the negativity, and no matter the obstacles that will arise (and there will be obstacles) you’re going to give this writing thing a serious go. It is that important to you, and you’re so determined you will do it alone if you have to. So you sit down and begin pouring your soul out in words on the page. There are ups and there are downs, but after weeks or months, maybe even years of writing, you complete your first manuscript.

You are triumphant! As you finish dancing your way through the house in your Santa pajamas that everyone had forgotten you still owned, and the euphoria begins to fade, you are faced with the question that all of us must ask: “Now that I’ve written the darn thing, what do I do with it?” Here, in this column, is where you’ll find the answer. Actually, it’s where we’ll find it together.

My name is Leatrice McKinney. My pen name is L. L. McKinney. Most people call me El or Tangynt, thanks to my inclination to… well, I’m sure you can guess. I am a writer, like you, and I have just completed my first manuscript. SWAYED is a religious fantasy in first draft form and is, from beginning to end, 393 pages long. On June 22, 2010, at 2:27 am, I typed the final word on that last page. I did back flips for the following 24 hours, and after that I spent just as much time doing research on what my next step should be. I am delighted to say that I found out more than I could have hoped, and this column is where I’m going to share all of it.

There are so many writers and professionals out there offering up their experiences and opinions, and I am going over countless blogs and websites taking in as much as I can. Some say that once you have a complete manuscript, the hard part is over. Others say that things have only just begun. Either way, I have nowhere to go but forward, and Fiction, from the First Draft Forward is where I’m going to spotlight that journey. I will make mistakes, I will hit dead ends, I’ll take a wrong turn at Albuquerque, but I made up my mind that I am going to get there and nothing is going to change it, just as I’m sure you’ve made up yours. We’ll discuss just about every avenue an author could take, from courses to contests, finding writing groups to attending conferences, and whatever else it takes. We will explore techniques on rewriting and revising first drafts until that manuscript is polished to shine. And then? The search for an agent begins.

From now until the query letters go out, this column will be a compilation of every tidbit of information I can squeeze into it about this process in its entirety. They say writing is a lonely endeavor, and it very well can be, but I am hoping to put an end to that in some small degree. Sometimes it helps just to know that there is someone else out there also faced with plenty of the same challenges we face, so the invitation is here: let’s go from A to Z together, step-by-step as best as can be prescribed by the industry, and I make a promise now that this will not just be about me and my work.

This is a journey every person who aspires to be a published writer must take, so it would be rather selfish of me to tailor it to my needs alone. An open line of contact will always be available so any and everyone can participate in the fun. If you have advice or tips, offer them. If you have questions, ask them. I will do my best to provide answers. At the very least I’ll find someone who does know the answer or sniff out the proper direction to point you. We’ll just avoid Albuquerque altogether.

One of the major rules in this particular profession is to write what you know, and what I know is this is where it starts. This is where every famous author in the history of the craft began, and this is where we begin as well. To celebrate the completion of SWAYED on my end, and the similar achievement on yours, I offer the first of many inspiring tidbits that will be included at the end of every entry:

"We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out."-Ray Bradbury

Happy writing.

L.L. McKinney is a freelance writer, a published poet and a playwright. As an active member of First Tuesdays and YA Lit Chat, she is currently seeking representation for her young adult paranormal urban fantasy, Swayed.