Finish a first draft of a novel

I’ve had less time this week to think and reflect. But that’s ok; there is a good reason for it. I’ve fallen a tiny bit behind on one of my larger goals—finishing the first draft of a novel—which I am to have by the middle of June this year.

2023 is the year I’ll get that draft finished, and assuming it’s good enough, I also hope to have at least one complete revision and—as a stretch goal—share it with someone else. Right now, I’m just starting, or maybe I should say, I’m getting re-started. The idea I’m working on has been bouncing around in my head for years now, and I’ve made a few attempts at starting it, trying out different methods of outlining prep work and methodologies to try and get it going. It’s never entirely worked. Every time I start strong, I lose steam as the plot problems pile up.

The prevailing advice on writing your first draft is to power through, and I think that’s good advice, but it’s been a struggle for me. Last time life got in the way, and I lost the thread. Most times, I run out of steam. This time, though, I am going to power through and finish. I’m not even worried if it’s good or if I want to continue when I’ve hit the end of that first draft. I want to finish, and that’s my goal.

So what’s my story about? I’m not quite ready to share the details, but it’s an urban meets high fantasy tale with some extensive world-building behind it. Having said that, this particular story is, I hope, strongly character driven with a coming-of-age theme wrapped in a supernatural mystery framing. It sounds generic, but I think it’s got some original aspects and a unique spin. If I can execute—big if, heh—then I think it’ll be familiar but also new.