How to write your novel in three drafts: the method that keeps you moving forward

Writing a novel can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to perfect every page as you go. But what if you didn’t have to get it right the first time? What if, instead, you focused on getting it down, shaping it later, and only polishing once the story is in place?

That’s the power of the three-draft method — an approach popularised by Matt Bell in his excellent craft book Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts. At its heart, this method gives writers structure, clarity and, perhaps most importantly, permission to keep going when things feel messy.

Here's how it works:

The writing struggle is real: how to beat procrastination and get the words down

Revising this latest book has been tough – and that’s with an outline. The story is there, the chapters mapped out, but the act of sitting down and actually doing it? That’s the hard part.

I’ve always found that writing doesn’t get easier just because you know what comes next. 

7 books that will help you write your novel

When I started writing, I honestly didn’t believe I could learn anything. I just sat down at my laptop, put words on the page, and wrote. No courses, advice or anything. 

In retrospect, that sounds crazy; why would you start a new project without reading about it?