What Images or Vibes First Made You Want to Write This Book?
Fun and games | First Draft November: Day 17
→ This week’s goal: Fully embrace the messy middle by leaning into tension, the promise of your premise, and the unexpected ways your protagonist is tested.
→ Word target: 35k words by the end of the week.
→ Looking for some daily accountability? Join the First Draft November Chat to post your daily word count and connect with your fellow writers.
Hi writers,
Welcome to the messy middle! We have officially entered the world of Act Two. And by the end of the week, we’ll have written around 35,000 words!
This part of your draft is pretty expansive, so there’s a chance you’re freaking out. You might feel disorganized or like you are trudging through a murky swamp without any direction (no? Just me?). This is a good time to take a step back and remind yourself of why you wanted to write this story. So before we dive into the messy middle’s beats, let’s get to today’s guiding question:
When you started thinking about this book, what images or vibes came to mind?
This is our first draft, so of course we don’t know all of the specifics yet. But I’m sure you had something in mind—a particular vibe or a tiny image that could grow into a full scene—that got you excited enough to begin writing a novel. Maybe you saw your protagonist in a certain light, or imagined a party, or pictured a particular kind of tension.
As we move full speed ahead towards the messy middle, don’t forget about your original intention for this book. This excitement will give you the motivation you need to keep going. Even though it will likely take many revisions to convey your vision for the story fully, your enthusiasm can help reset your journey when things feel murky and messy.
Keep those images and vibes close as we enter this next story beat, Fun and Games.
I love that this beat has two names, because both are equally useful. The Fun and Games beat reminds us that not every scene has to be packed with grim, tension-filled conflict. In fact, those moments of high drama hit harder when they’re contrasted with lighter, more playful ones. This label also supports our hold it all loosely mindset. We get to experiment on the page, seeing how our characters act in this new world.
The Fun and Games beat is also called the Promise of the Premise. When someone picks up your book, they probably have a general idea of what to expect, whether that’s from the back cover copy, a review, or a friend’s suggestion. This beat is where you deliver on that promise. It’s also where your original intent comes into play—those vibes, topics, or scenes that propelled you to the page in the first place.
Here is an example from my own work. In my novel, the “promise” is clear: a girl working at a country club, partying with the staff, and clashing with the wealthy members. That’s what someone would tell a friend if they asked what my book is about.
As the story progresses, my protagonist becomes acclimated to her new world. She’s crushing on the sous chef, befriending the waitresses, getting jealous of one of them, and drinking too much after work. There’s a 3rd of July party, scenes of waiting on the club’s men and watching how they respond to her, and plenty of kitchen mishaps.
I knew conflict and tension would be essential as the novel moved along. But the idea of exploring these staff dynamics—the push-pull between working-class life and elite wealth, and the intimacy of a restaurant crew—was what originally excited me when I first started conceptualizing my novel. And that’s what became my Fun and Games section.
So today, ask yourself: What images or vibes first made me want to write this story? Put those ideas on the page. They’ll keep you moving through the messy middle.
Happy writing!
First Draft November is a free-for-all, month-long challenge for writers who are ready to get that novel they’ve been dreaming of on the page. And no, it’s not too late to join. Write with us!
When this first draft challenge came through my substack feed, I was mulling over ideas for a story based on a dream I had.
In brief, when an emergency Lock-Down was triggered, I got trapped in the armoury of a commercial research facility that developed fantastical creatures as attractions for a magical theme park. I watched through a window as a young park employee cowered in a doorway, while massive hairy monsters - the adults of a sort of cutesy little fluff-ball creature designed for children's petting zoos, ambled ominously down the corridor. I was helpless to do anything to help him, and i can't forget the look of fear and despair on his face when he saw me through the window, while trying to keep himself as still as possible, in hopes that the monsters would continue ignoring him.
Here's the link to where I describe it in full on my own Substack:
https://open.substack.com/pub/wmcleod37/p/nightmare-genesis?r=14ncs6&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=
I hope you keep these prompts up for a while, as I doubt few people will finish a rough draft this month. I find the tips extremely useful, and I'm grateful they're here!
My initial vision came to me through friends. I began writing a daily list of 5 gratitudes from the time my mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 until she died in 2014 and beyond on FB. It's a habit I continue. Those lists served as a journal, because I remember everything when I return to read them. They outlined my caregiving journey - the good, the bad, and the absurd. My friends said they would read a book that expanded on those lists, but I want this book to be so much more.