This piece pretty much sums up my whole writing experience. One of the hardest things I find myself being able to do is actually knowing where to start. I would imagine a large part of this is attributed to the fact that I want to be be able to present something perfect right away, but maybe it’s just something every writer struggles with. The moment I accepted that it was fine for me to create a first draft that was shit was that moment I really began to see my writing evolve. One of the many things I’ve noticed throughout my years of writing, it is that when I just let myself go while writing, I come up with things I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. After multiple rounds of revisions, this would lead to an end product that while having elements of what made that first draft great, all the things that makes the final draft what it was meant to be. To be honest, even though I know that this is the right way to go about it, I only really find myself doing this if what I’m writing about is something I am passionate about. I can easily say that nearly every school paper I’ve written was able to receive a good grade with my approach of trying to perfect a first draft, but those perfect grades never really showed up except for the pieces where I just let myself go. This whole method goes against my philosophy of getting work over with as quickly as possible, but the more I think about it, starting with something that has a lot to improve upon saves more time. Rather than spending a ridiculous amount of time attempting to perfect something that shouldn’t be, I can just use that same amount of time on something that can be.
2 thoughts on “Shitty First Drafts”
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I fully agree with your desire to want to present something as perfect outright. I also feel a certain passion while writing, specifically within a first draft. Another part of my brain is awakened and runs wild. Even if I am not entirely passionate about the subjected that is introduced to me immediately, once I form an opinion on that subject it becomes a source of motivation.
I have found that my most prideful essays and assignments were written when I, as you so well put it, just let go. I find that when you overthink and overwork your writing, it usually leads to an end result less emotional and with less personality- which is what makes writing, YOUR writing- than if you had just begun writing and expressing your thoughts immediately in a first draft. They say not to second guess yourself for a reason. Usually your initial reaction or ideas are the ones that are most passionate and most pure. I agree that sometimes you have to let go of the idea of being “perfect” outright and just go with it.