Very few writers really know what they’ve done until they’ve done it…the only way I can get anything done at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts

Anne Lamott, “Bird By Bird”

Make Lots of Mistakes Quickly =
Learn Quickly How To Avoid Those Mistakes In Future

What are the consequences of writing a bad story? That you might get discouraged?

That’s not something we embrace readily, but it’s not fatal.

Now, what are the consequences of trying to write a perfect story?

That you might get stuck.

That you might not progress.

That you might quit.

Embrace the cause of the crappy first draft, and save your writing life!

How To Create Your First Draft

1: Work Fast

This is what keeps the Inner Editor from getting his claws into you.

Write like the wind. Keep running and leave the Inner Editor behind.

Write fast, get to the point where you get stuck, and keep writing anyway.

2: Don’t Look Back

Literally, don’t look back at your draft as you’re writing.  Even if you have forgotten what you named a secondary character or a town, just put in a placeholder and keep writing.

If you look back you’ll be tempted to judge, to edit, and you’ll slow down and then you’ll lose momentum, and then it’s so much harder to get going again.

3: Have Fun in the First Draft Sandbox

The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.

-Richard Bach

Treat your first draft as your sandbox: get your fingers dirty, build ugly models, knock them down later.

Don’t Quit. Fight The Fear. Write A Crappy First Draft Today.