Writing a Novel from Scratch: Layers, Craft Books, Tips, etc,.

A loose voice note exploring how I’m approaching the writing process from scratch as an author who’s finished multiple books—especially the “zero draft,” or what I consider the underdrawing of a novel’s first draft.

I dig into strategies that worked for revising my debut novel (Mountain Sounds), the trade-offs of protected writing time, which craft structures serve me best, and how I layer in everything from neuroscience of the senses to scene mapping, playlists, and classic plotting frameworks (like Save the Cat and Story Genius.) Whoa.

I also touch on the business side of writing: IRS classifications, productivity tools, and the opportunity cost of creative work when freelancing. Sneak peek: “just write your next” is still my least favorite advice for anyone querying or on submission.

Basically: how do you build a manuscript from the ground up and have enough to work with? And for me—can I write this next book faster, better, or more efficiently with what I’ve learned from the last?

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This one’s longer—but so is the process of writing a book.

RELATED: The Considerations of Writing a Zero Draft

Listen to My Voice Note

Other Books Mentioned (or Considered)

• Daily Rituals by Mason Currey
• I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
• Dear Ally, How Do You Write a Book? by Ally Carter
• Story Genius by Lisa Cron
• Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
• Writing Deep Scenes by Jordan Rosenfeld and Martha Alderson
• The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr
• A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman

etc,.

The Outline Template I Dissected

I'm uploading a reference for what my mapping sheet looks like while I fill out the volume of my zero draft, but just email me if you'd like the PDF version.

grace@wordslikesilver.com

Will it work? Time will tell!