In a post on DIY MFA, Heather Campbell identifies five common mistakes in first drafts and recommends ways to avoid them. Those mistakes include:
1. No larger point or message. “Not having a point or message is sometimes a symptom of the other story problems, and sometimes it’s the root,” Campbell says. “When it’s the root, the writer often has no driving force behind why the characters do what they do or why the plot goes where it does. When it’s a symptom, it’s often because the writer is simply seeing their story as a series of events without a greater meaning.”
2. Too much focus on plot instead of story. “A plot without story is simply not as compelling because it reads like just a series of events; there should be more going on underneath those events,” Campbell writes. “A draft that is all plot without story feels shallow.”
3. No clear character arc for the protagonist. “If this piece is missing in your draft, start by asking yourself two questions: Who is my character at the start of the story? And who are they at the end?” Campbell advises.
4. Details or subplots don’t pay off. “Significant details and subplots should connect to the main character’s plight or the theme of the story,” Campbell says. “If a detail or subplot doesn’t ultimately go anywhere, at best, the reader is distracted by it, and at worst, the reader is confused.”
5. No cause-and-effect trajectory from one scene to the next. “Because a novel is not just a series of events, it’s important to remember that each scene—each action your protagonist takes—should drive from one to the next,” Campbell writes. “Ultimately, your characters are constantly acting and reacting.”
