Episode 1: First Drafts

At the exact moment this post goes live, I’ll be sitting in an auditorium full of people in identical graduation gowns with brown lining on the hoods, waiting to walk across the red carpet and be awarded with a BA in English and Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Three years and countless books, memories, and stories later, I feel so excited about what’s to come. But before we talk about what’s next, let me take you back in time a bit.

As part of my final-year assessment, I had the chance to work on an extended creative project of my choice. I chose fiction, and so the first three chapters of Summer’s Over came to be. I knew I didn’t want to stop there, though. Uni may be officially over, but I keep writing and am more than happy to say I am around 40% finished the first full draft of my novel.

Here’s the truth: I’ve never, ever had writer’s block in my life (touch wood!). My problem is quite the opposite - I am so restless and bursting with inspiration that I hesitate to put anything down in writing unless I feel certain that it is better than the 150+ other ideas floating in my head. This is why I prefer to sit back and let my thoughts mature until a deadline forces me to start writing. That’s how Summer’s Over began: the monthly one-on-ones with my supervisor meant that I had to have something ready to show.

Now that I’m on my own, I’ve decided to just go for it - no more waiting for the right timing or polished prose. Instead, I’m pushing through the uncertainty and reminding myself that a bad first draft is infinitely more useful than a perfect idea that is still trapped in my head.

I’ve been writing every day for the past month - roughly for about an hour, with no word count targets. Just typing until I feel content (or hungry).

The thing I’ve learnt about first drafts is that they are bad. They are the worst, in my case. Mine makes less sense than the dream notes I write down half-asleep. But I’m learning to be okay with that. The first draft is a roadmap - messy, chaotic, embarrassing - but it’s helping me figure out how to get from point A to B to C. It’s full of instructions I hope my future self can decipher, and scenes I already know will never see the light of day. But the point is: I am writing.

Last week, I hit 100 pages on my Word doc, which is still wild to me. I’m the kind of writer who usually reaches chapter 3 of something, then gets a new idea, scraps everything, and moves on without a second thought. But not this time. I’ve made a promise to myself: my focus is on Summer’s Over and Summer’s Over solely. I am not working on anything else until I get this done.

And in all honesty? I love this book. You have no idea. I will 100% be one of those authors calling their book their baby. And yes, once it’s published, I will be insufferable. This is your official warning. You will hear me talk about it non-stop - in real life, in interviews, on social media - until your ears bleed.

In this blog, I mainly write about other people’s books. But this page is where I’ll take you behind the scenes of my own creative process. I’ll be sharing monthly updates, sneak peeks, and little teases of what my novel is turning into.

Stay tuned because in just two days another episode is coming, where I will reveal a bit more about the star of the novel — and how Paris Hilton became part of the equation.