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.Subscribe & Review in Apple PodcastsAre you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode! Especially because I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. So, click here to subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts!If you're already a subscriber, and if you enjoy the show, I would be really grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts, too. Those reviews help other writers find my podcast and they’re also super fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the show is. Thanks in advance!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)FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author!Support the show👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.