justin lesieur dot com slash blog slash first draft complete

May 2, 2026

The first draft of my next book is officially done. It's sitting at 36,000 words right now, which means I've got a lot of work ahead to reach my goal of 60,000. But finishing a first draft feels incredible. There's something about that last sentence, even knowing it's rough, that makes the entire process worth it.

My daily writing goal is 1,000 words. I started this draft on February 28 of this year, so I haven't exactly hit that mark consistently. But that's okay. Writing isn't about perfection, it's about persistence. The important thing is that the story exists now. It's real.

Next up: Reading through it to see if it's any good, making edits, adding color, layering in subplots, and tightening any emotional beats. This is where the real work begins, but also where the story starts to breathe.

For now, I'm just letting myself enjoy the feeling of finishing another first draft. It's messy, imperfect, and full of potential.