Allison K Williams - Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book

Woodhall Press, 81 Old Saugatuck Road,
Norwalk, CT 06855

WoodhallPress.com

Copyright 2021 Allison K Williams

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages for review.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

ISBN 978-1-949116-45-8 (paper: alk paper)

ISBN 978-1-949116-44-1 (electronic)

First Edition

Distributed by Independent Publishers Group

(800) 888-4741

Printed in the United States of America

The views expressed in this book are solely those of the author.

Advance Praise for Seven Drafts...

Allison is one of the most gifted writing teachers I know. Shes like a friend privately taking you aside, delivering the honest truth you need, in a way that makes you enthusiastic to keep on going, even when the work gets very hard.

- Jane Friedman, publishing expert and author of The Business of Being a Writer

Finally, a guide from the beloved teacher who has been changing writers lives for years. Written with her famous firehose-style delivery of crucial, clear, and inside-secret information, every page feels like her urging, Heres what you need. Take my hand. Come on. And then she flings you ten feet in the air like the circus acrobat she (also) is. To take a class with Allison K Williams is to be lifted up and catapulted into writerly community. Now her guide is here to elevate our grammar, style, and storytelling with that same kind of precision and joy.

- Diane Zinna, author of The All-Night Sun

Ive been lucky enough to be one of Allisons students for several years. Allison coached me from first-eververy shittysentence all the way through publishing my debut novel with Knopf. She taught me everythingfrom writing how-to, to prioritizing my writing time (yes, I was allowed to let the dirty dishes stack up in my sink!) to navigating the publishing industry. Anyone, whether experienced writer or complete novice novelist, will find an abundance of Allisons wisdom and tender loving (motivating, no-nonsense, but sometimes laugh-out-loud funny) care in her wonderful new book, and we will all be much better writers for it.

- Rhiannon Navin, author of Only Child

Why self-edit when you can pay someone to edit for you? Well at some point, dear writer, we each need to figure out how to tell our stories well. In Seven Drafts, Allison K Williams is your partner in shaping your writing into something that is worth buying. Delivered with hilarity, highlight-worthy tips, and her characteristic love-filled-but-never-sugar-coated style, in Seven Drafts youll barely notice that Allison K Williams is holding your feet to the fire as you forge a story that is worth telling and selling.

- Ashleigh Renard, author of Swing

Allison understands at a molecular level what makes prose work. As a sounding board, beta reader, and drop-everything-Im-doing-to-meet-her coffeehouse workshop partner, Allison has made my writing better. Let her do that for you.

- Christopher Buehlman, author of The Lesser Dead and The Blacktongue Thief

I had nearly given up on finding an agent when I decided to rework my manuscript with Allisons help. After the revisions, an agent who had told me I could resubmit decided to represent me, and my book was acquired by Penguin Random House!

- Karen Fine, author of The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarians View of Love, Loss, Mortality and Mindfulness

There are many stellar craft books to choose from, but few are both comprehensive and fun to read. Allison K Williams does both, creating a clear and engaging path through the writing process. Read Seven Drafts once to understand the writing landscape, then refer to it again (and again) as you make the most of every draft. As an editor and coach, this book is one I wish Id written and one Ill refer to and recommend for years to come.

- Lisa Ellison, Editor and Writing Coach

Seven Drafts is a must-read for ALL writers! The structure makes it easy to skip to the advice most neededat any stage of the manuscript journey. Incredibly well-written, funny and filled with great examples to help writers improve their craft.

- Jessica Jarlvi, author of When I Wake Up and What Did I Do?

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Allison K Williams separates myth from fact to provide crucial, no-nonsense advice on the practical side of being a writer, and she does it with deft humor. You couldnt ask for a better coach.

- Dinty W. Moore, Editor-In-Chief of Brevity and author of Between Panic and Desire

Engaging and straightforwarduseful, concrete advice.

- Amy Fish, author of I Wanted Fries With That

A straight-talking guide to finding your market, calibrating your skill level and getting in print. She knows the game, she knows the rules. She knows every shortcut youll want to take, and will tell you which ones might work and which will come back to haunt you. Part motivational essay, part how-to bible, part resource treasure-trove.

- Christopher Buehlman, author of The Lesser Dead and The Blacktongue Thief

Allison Williams no-nonsense advice on this daunting aspect of the literary life is bright, thorough, and practical. Williams offers guidelines and encouragement with engaging self-awareness. I will follow her anywhere.

- Robert V. Hansmann, Bennington Writers Group

Contents

LIST OF EXERCISES330

INDEX330

INTRODUCTION

D o any of these sound familiar?

Ive got a great idea for a book. Now what?

How do I create a fictional protagonist who readers will love and identify with?

I dont know when to stop writing, when to say my book is done.

Maybe youve been writing for a while and you want to get to the next level: