post by Michelle Griep
Last week I finished a rough draft of my newest novel. You think you know what I mean, right? Well, apparently not, Hoss. What a rough draft means to me might mean something totally different to you, and sure as heck is not the same as what Great Aunt Martha thinks it is. So today we're going to do some defining . . .

5 Types of Rough Drafts

Word Vomit
Sorry for the visual. Think of this one as stream of consciousness type of writing. An amplified version. A type-anything-and-everything-because-hot-dang-something-might-be-great-in-this-mess kind of mindset.

Tighty Whitey
Bare bones. Tight writing. So tight, in fact, that there's lots of white space because this is only the essence of a story. There will have to be lots of additional information added.

Practically Perfect
This puppy takes a long time to write because plot flow, words, and characters are well thought out, not just slapped down willy-nilly. Sure, there will be a few nits to comb out, but overall this rough draft is about as rough as a baby's behind.

Screenplay
Some writers pen only dialogue on their first pass of a book. They simply put their characters on stage and let them talk. Settings and character descriptions will be added in later.

Outline on Steroids
This is the opposite of the screenplay approach. Basically it's a this-happens-then-that-happens live-action play for the entire story.

As for me, I'm of the Practically Perfect persuasion, and not just because it's fun to say. I'm just a little OCD that way.