In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through five questions to ask before you start writing a first draft. Here's a preview of what's included:

[01:25] The purpose of a first draft is to tell yourself the story. The purpose of a first draft is NOT to be perfect or to have everything 100% figured out.
[01:50]  By doing some of the important work or heavy lifting upfront, you CAN write a stronger, more efficient first draft that feels more like a second or third draft. But to do that, you need to know the answer to five really important questions.
[03:15] Question #1: Who is this story about? Who is your protagonist?
[04:40] Question #2: What's the main genre of this story?
[06:10] Question #3: What point are you trying to make with this story?
[07:20] Question #4: Where and when does this story take place?
[08:40] Question #5: What happens in the story's plot?
[10:30] Key points and episode recap.

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Links mentioned in this episode:

• Episode Freebie: 5 Questions to Ask Before Writing a First Draft (PDF)
• How to Choose the Right Genre for Your Story (podcast and article)
• 5 Questions to Help You Flesh Out Your Characters (podcast and article)
• 3 Ways to Uncover the Theme of Your Story (podcast and article)
• How to Figure Out the Big Picture Shape of Your Story (podcast and article)

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