Indie Writers Club 064 - Drafting a Novel
Nov 21, 2025
Join the hosts as they dive into the excitement of Novel November, revealing their draft progress and word counts. They discuss the benefits of writing retreats and how different environments enhance creativity. Cara shares her gothic retelling challenges, while James navigates pacing and structuring his plot. They explore overcoming writer's block with unique strategies and debate the pros and cons of rewriting while drafting. Plus, find out how community sprints can boost productivity and keep you accountable in your writing journey!
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Retreats Create Deep Focus
- James Blatch described a distraction-free week in America where he wrote more and limited phone use to boost focus.
- He found the white-room environment and routine increased productivity and helped solve longer-term problems.
Writing A Gothic Retelling
- Cara Clare is drafting a Lady Chatterley Gothic vampire retelling and is excited about the trend for classics reworkings.
- She finds this standalone longer than usual and is mentally exhausted by the wordcount and emotional complexity.
Late Inciting Incident By Design
- James is at 32,411 words and approaching his main inciting incident, which he feels comes late but is deliberate for character setup.
- He compares this pacing to his previous much longer books and accepts the draft may tighten in revision.