Date

8-25-2022

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Chair

James Corey Latta

Keywords

creative writing, fiction, first draft, novels, short stories, writing process

Disciplines

Creative Writing

Abstract

Many writers struggle with completing a novel when they follow the traditional process of working through plot, character and world building problems in prewriting activities followed by sitting and drafting the story in a linear process scene by scene and chapter by chapter. This thesis proposes an alternate iterative approach. Iterative drafting creates multiple smaller versions of the full story that build to a first draft. By moving several problem solving activities into the draft itself writers can find increased opportunity for quick analysis, low effort corrections and a more efficient drafting method. This thesis lays out the description and support for an iterative process and then applies the theory to drafting a novel in the creative manuscript. The conclusion offers a brief reflection the how the process of iterative drafting aligned with the theory.

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