5: From Twilight Fanfic to First Draft: My Writing Hacks to Finishing Your First Draft

It doesn’t matter whether it’s January 1st or a random Wednesday in August—the call to write has zero respect for the calendar. My first pull happened in my final year of primary school, right after I tore through the Twilight series and promptly started hammering out what was, let’s be honest, pure Jasper Hale fan‑fic.

Fast‑forward to February 2023: I flipped the last page of Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas, wiped away what would have been a heroic amount of mascara had I been wearing any, and thought, I want to take readers on that kind of emotional roller‑coaster.

Cue lightning‑bolt moment #2.

So once I finally got over my excuses—and let’s be honest, there were a lot of them—I did what any girl who lives for a good colour-coded plan would do: I set a 2025 goal and built a timeline.

My mission? To be holding a printed, messy, magical, totally imperfect first draft of my book in my hands by December 31st, 2025.

Now, I’d be lying if I said this was the first time I set that goal. Truthfully? It’s probably been my New Year’s Resolution at least eight times. And each time, it quietly fizzled by mid-February.

But this time I knew it was different because I had learnt how to master my own mindset and curb sabotage. I locked in. I reminded myself that I can either get to the end of my life still clinging to the same dusty dream I’ve had since I was twelve… or I can get out of my own damn way and finally write the thing.

(Spoiler: I chose to write the thing. Just in case that wasn’t clear.)

And now? We’re halfway through the year, and I’m right on track—and honestly? That feels so damn good.

Let's discuss the writing hacks I am using in 2025 to finally finish my draft.

WRITING HACK #1: Block Out the Time and Create a Timeline

Everyone’s schedules look different, so you’ve got to find what works best for you. Right now, I’m averaging about 4–5 hours of writing a week. That might look like four one-hour blocks for you, or eight half-hour chunks spread across your week. However it fits—just block it out and treat that time as sacred.

To help me stay focused (and curb my habit of reaching for my phone), I use the Forest app, which lets you grow a digital tree every time you do an undisturbed writing session. I set mine to 25-minute sprints, and not to brag... but I’ve grown 68 little trees so far this year. (Yes, I’m absolutely counting.)

Once you’ve figured out how much time you can realistically commit, it’s time to build your timeline.

You can do this by word count, chapter count, or what I use—the Pinch Point Method, which breaks your story into eight key turning points based on classic storytelling structure. Here’s what that looks like:

I dedicate one month per pinch point, and that gives me a full eight-month draft timeline that feels clear and manageable.

If you want a deeper dive into Pinch Point 1, I’ve written a full blog on that [right here].

And just quietly—huge love to The Writers’ Studio Australia and their 10-Month First Draft Course for helping me shape this timeline into something that actually works (and doesn’t break my brain).

My Personal Timeline for Reference Created with Miro

WRITING HACK #2: Embrace the Sh*tty First Draft

This is your first draft. It’s meant to be messy. It’s allowed to have plot holes the size of Jupiter, characters still named “rude bartender,” and entire scenes where you’ve just written “insert fight scene here.”

Seriously—don’t expect perfection.

The only job of the first draft is to get the story down on the page. That’s it. Keep moving forward, even if some of what you’re writing makes you cringe a little (or a lot). There is no editing a blank page, so give yourself permission to write something ugly but real.

Progress over perfection, always.

WRITING HACK #3: Let Discipline Be the Thing That Drives You

Here’s the truth: if you’re sitting around waiting to feel motivated before you write… you’ll probably never write. Motivation is an emotion—and like all emotions, it comes and goes.

Discipline, though? That’s a choice. A commitment. A promise you keep to yourself even when you’d rather be doing literally anything else.

Right now, I’m about 15% into my draft and if I’m being totally honest—I’m not feeling inspired at all. I love the idea of my story. I still care deeply about my characters. But the actual act of writing it? Yeah… that feels like dragging myself through quicksand.

But I’ve made a commitment. So every week, I show up. I sit down. I get the words out—even when they’re average. Even when they suck. And guess what? That act of showing up keeps the momentum going. And eventually, I know the motivation will spark again. Because life hack: Discipline creates motivation.

WRITING HACK #4: A Little Mind Trick for When You’re Procrastinating

Procrastination is simply just avoiding the hard stuff.

My coach Monica Yates gave me this simple trick: instead of thinking about how hard or overwhelming the task is, focus on how good it feels after you’ve done it.

Close your eyes for a moment and visualise that sweet moment when you close your word document after a solid writing session—shoulders loose, word count up, feeling proud, relieved, and one step closer to achieving your goal. Now open your eyes and put pen to paper or fingers to keys.

That little mental picture makes sitting down for even just 25 minutes way easier.

Give it a go next time you’re stuck or avoiding your writing.

One Last Pep‑Talk

If twelve‑year‑old me—who spent her weekends writing about Jasper Hale saving her from the all-powerful villain—could see me hammering away at pinch point two today, she’d be squealing in full sparkly‑vampire delight. And honestly? That’s reason enough to keep going.

Remember your why. Block the time. Honour the timeline. Write the messy words. Show up for yourself.

Happy Writing

Renee Ella

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