What’s Next for Your Draft and How to Keep Going
You did it! | First Draft November: Day 28
→ This week’s goal: Reach the midpoint twist, escalate pressure from antagonistic forces, and celebrate 50k messy, beautiful words—the bulk of your first draft!
→ Word target: 50k 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,
Happy Friday, and happy on the tail-end-of-the-finish-line day! This is your last letter from me. But with two days left of the month, I know you’re still in the midst of creating pressure, closing in on your protagonist as the antagonist is circling, the clock is ticking, and the protagonist’s own flaws are starting to work against them.
But let’s pause for a moment to celebrate. Showing up for your story every day, writing with curiosity and speed, and letting go of perfectionism is no small feat. Truly, it’s the hardest part of novel writing: Keeping momentum through the mess. And you did it!
So what’s next for your draft, and how will you keep going?
50k words don’t usually finish a novel. But that wordcount does take you past the midpoint, through the hardest terrain, and into the bulk of the work. From here, writing another 20–30k words to reach a full draft is far less daunting—the engine is already running. You’ve built the discipline, proven you can sustain the rhythm, and shown yourself that messy pages are better than no pages at all.
I challenge you to keep writing through to the end. Consider it a holiday gift to yourself: A messy draft with a beginning, middle, and end. Your idea expanded into a full-length story.
Yes, there will be plot holes, unexplained backstory, side characters you might cut, cringeworthy lines of dialogue, plot lines that go nowhere, or unclear character motivations.
But none of that matters right now.
You will revise this baby more times than you would like to count. So don’t look back just yet. Instead, carry the momentum you have built this month into December and FINISH. THIS. DRAFT.
After that, I encourage you to rest. Let everything you have experienced this month marinate, and let your story settle in the form it’s in now. Then, perhaps in a few weeks, pick it up again and see what you have created.
Distance allows you to see things more clearly. You might already be feeling harsh judgment for parts of this messy draft you have created, so this time away can soften that feeling and allow you to look at your novel with fresh eyes.
Three things to do next
1. Set a mini December goal
Don’t lose momentum. Keep with the 1,667 words a day. If that feels like too much, slow it down to 1,000 or even 500 words. But stay consistent so your draft doesn’t stall.
2. Celebrate properly
Seriously. Order takeout, buy yourself flowers, text your writing buddy, take a shot, whatever feels like joy. Finishing 50k words in a month is rare. Mark it. Feel it. Celebrate it, baby!
3. Connect with community
If you loved writing in sync with others, keep it going. Drop into the accountability thread one more time this weekend, share your word count, or even post a favorite messy line from your draft. Writing doesn’t have to be lonely, and I hope you have felt unified with us this month.
An added bonus
If First Draft November has reminded you how much momentum and community matter, I’d love to invite you into The Wild Draft, my 6-month small-group cohort starting in January.
It’s a high-touch experience designed for first and early drafters who want to finish their novels with accountability, craft guidance, and writerly joy. Together, we’ll meet biweekly, build your book scene by scene, and create a writing practice that will carry you beyond just one draft.
The waitlist is open here. I’d love to keep writing alongside you!
Thank you so much for embarking on this journey with me! Remember, this wasn’t about a perfect draft. It was about building trust in your intuition, momentum in your writing life, and proof that you can finish big things. This messy draft is evidence. The real gift is the practice you’ve built, and that will carry you into every project to come.
Happy writing and onward, friends!
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. Write with us!
I couldn't write that many words a day, but this group was helpful to get my story moving again. I am thankful for that.
This challenge has been perfect to just give me permission to try. I thought I needed to plan my novel before I started it and so for 30 years I haven’t started. This month I just started with the smallest whisper of a what if, and two characters I wanted to explore. By just writing I’ve developed ideas, had brainwaves on the tube that have made me say, “oh yes, that’s it, that’s what happens next.” And yes I did do this aloud and yes in London at rush hour that does get you some funny looks….
I’ve now got an idea of how to get to the end, and I already have some ‘go back and fix notes.’ Which I’ve just made a note and moved on, which for a perfectionist has been hard but critical…. I can only apologise to Tom and Jenny who made a brief appearance in chapter two and will sadly be culled, maybe you get to be in a different story….
So thank you for this challenge it’s been brilliant and I can’t wait to keep going!