A Different First Draft

I’ve written many, many first drafts of novels, most of them “by the seat of my pants.” This means I have a story idea but don’t know exactly how it plays out until I write it. However, I have written a few (very few) first drafts from a synopsis. These drafts tend to have a little more structure when the story first goes down on paper (or screen). 

I’m now beginning different kind of first draft, a new one for me because this is a type of novel I’ve not written before and that has led to quite a different drafting process. What to hear about it?

This historical (not romance) novel will be my first attempt at one based on real people and a real situation. I’ve mashed up historical facts, people, and situations to create other works of fiction, but never have I tried to fictionalize a true story in its entirety. This is a form of fiction I enjoy reading and have long wanted to write. And now is the time. 

Why does this type of story crash my normal writing process? Simple. It comes with a built-in outline! 

Because this story is based on a specific history of people and places, I have the bones of the story mapped out by the real timeline. And the characters already have names and situations within the story. I was able to do an intricate timeline of all the major events of the story and who is involved in them. (I used a great app called Aeon Timeline!) Suddenly, this non-outliner has an outline!

What I love about this particular story is that there are a lot of facts but not much about the true personalities of the people. This means I can look at their actions in light of the era in which they lived and draw my own conclusions as to their motivations, feelings, and conversations. I have just enough research through scholarly works–historians who pulled their facts from letters and other primary sources–to have the historical foundation, but the rest will be created by my imagination. 

Now, when I write, I open up my document and know what happens next in the timeline of history—who is involved and where. Then I get to “pants out” how things might have looked in the nitty-gritty of living in that moment. 

No, I’m not sticking entirely to the history. Some things have been added or changed to make a better story. But I am following it as closely as possible to still create a compelling novel. 

It’s been fun, actually, to be forced into a new kind of draft. I like shaking things up every now and again. And it also bodes well for some other “based on history” story ideas I want to write since I’m enjoying this process. We’ll see where this goes once it is all out of my head and on the page!

Have you ever taken on a new project—writing, work, house—that required tweaking your normal process? Does that energize you or make you anxious?