In a creative writing class I’m taking, our teacher pointed us to this great piece called “Shitty First Drafts”. It basically says what we all know but tend to forget: nobody ever just sits down and writes a great story on the first try.
👉 Shitty First Drafts by Anne Lamott
This approach frees you up to have fun with it (another topic from the class).
The first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later.
Anne Lamott from Bird by Bird
As a side note, this “shitty first draft” approach applies just as well to other creative endeavors such as making music or software. The key is to not actually ship the shitty first draft (although the occasional great album seems to be an exception to this rule).
Disclaimer: this blog consists entirely of shitty first drafts. 🤷🏻♂️
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