Last week I finished the first draft of the novel. I finished the last scene — that is, I filled out the final “sketch” — and called it a first draft. A bright line is useful, if for […]

In November, I decided to “sketch” the remaining sixteen scenes in my first draft without worrying about details like verb tense or punctuating dialogue. Then in mid-December, I began the work of finishing those scenes—and I’m almost done. […]