A friend of mine asked me if I have any writing advice, she said it might help her continue on with her writing.
At first, I was thinking “Omg, that’s so cool…”
A second later I answered, only calmer.
The very first thing that was on my mind was “Just write”,
She looked very disappointed.
We all want more, that magic wand that will make a published book with our name on it or a magic pill that will fix everything. So when I said to her just write, it was understandable she will be disappointed.
Sadly there is no fast fix to this.
If you want to be a writer, then write! It’s that simple.
My friend started to pour her heart out about her struggles, such as:
- She is very messy.
- She writes too fast and the writing is not what she wanted it to be.
- She has too many ideas in one plot.
- She will never be an author.
While she said all these things it hit me that I used to think the same way. So I calmed her down and shared my story, with a high hope it will help her somehow.
“Writers need to write,” I said.
No matter if you write dreams, stories, lines, thoughts or blogs. If you want to be more professional with your writing, you need to write and write some more. Enjoy the craft.
It’s ok, and even more than ok, to let the first draft be messy and “shitty”. It means you never stopped your creative flow and you wrote all that you could write about that story.
The important thing to know is that your story will not be a publishable work at your first draft. If you do think this way then you are living in a fairytale, sorry.
If you let yourself be in the “zone” of writing and write freely then you did do what was needed of you. The revision will be next, but when it comes to writing and jotting down those ideas and plots on paper (or keyboard) it’s best to allow yourself this freedom of writing.
If you feel that what you wrote makes no sense, leave it as it is. You can go back later, but now… it’s writing time. We all want perfection in our craft, only there can’t be perfection. I told her that I am a very messy writer. I have notes all over and even in the document itself.
I want to enjoy the writing or there is no point to it. I enjoy my craft more when I write freely and sadly when you write freely mistakes come soon after. I have spelling mistakes, my plot will suddenly turn into something else and if this happens I just write a note in the brackets, that way I know something changed and I will deal with it later.
Finally, I told her that she can relax because of a lot of other authors when I read about their creative process, say that they are very messy in their writing, after all, it’s only the first draft.
I love this saying so much, “It’s only the first draft.”
Finally, my friend understood what I was saying, but I saw she still wanted the fast fix and with that, I couldn’t help her.
Sorry for the long post and I hope you enjoyed my ramblings 🙂
Side note…
I think I will reach 130,000 – 150,000-word count which is far beyond what is needed, but I don’t want any limitations at this point in my writing. The editing will come later.
What are your thoughts of a first draft manuscript, should it be perfect for publishing? Can a first draft be just a first draft?
As always, thank you so much for reading ❤
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First drafts are messy and the key is to find the gems within them that will make it to the second draft 😀
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Yep. I agree with you 100% 🙂
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Find the awesome in the familiar and the seemingly mundane.
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Super awesome! Writers really must just write! Sometimes that seems so hard though! I definitely love, “It is just a first draft.” Even though I only write for fun in my spare time.Or even blogging, I don’t think anything is ever perfect, but it all works out one way or another!
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Yeah definitely 🙂 Nothing is perfect and that’s why it’s awesome 😀
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Good writing advice usually through doing a comparison. Between your work with others. Recheck what you could improve better. Get a second perception if you have to.
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Thank you so much for your advice, how sweet 🙂 Getting a new perspective is important to get better at your craft.
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Yes. Always. (^-^)
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A first draft is always a mess. That’s why it’s called the “first” draft and not “the” draft. 🙂 You’re right in what you told your friend. To be a writer, you have to write. There are no shortcuts or quick fixes. Practice makes perfect, as they say.
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Thank yous o much and it’s so true… Practice makes perfect 😀
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Such great and true advice! I think the hardest thing to do is just to start writing. I tend to want everything to come out perfectly (though I know better) and it’s sometimes what stops me most of the time. But, like you said, you can always edit later. 🙂
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Yeah i know, that what stopped me for years 😦 But I am happy that now I know and do, better.
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Your friend is really lucky to have you as a friend! 🙂 Your advice is worth millions… I can’t agree with you more! It’s so basic but, I guess, the ONLY thing that a writer really needs to do to get started!
Thanks for sharing this with us Galit… 🙂
And the first draft is actually never perfect for publishing… cause there’s always something better you can do to make your first draft better and better…
Have a great day dear ❤
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Awww, thank you Heena, you are so sweet to say that 🙂 It’s so true about first drafts, they are far from being perfect.
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Love your advice! If I have something stirring in my mind, then I write up a quick draft. I like to use that Quick Draft feature on my WordPress dashboard. And then I can come back to them at a later time to edit. Write, write, write. 😄
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Yeah I love that as well in WordPress 🙂
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Reblogged this on I Want to Write and commented:
Just write. It’s only the first draft. 🙂
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Awww, thank you so much Stephanie. How sweet of you.
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Yay youve changed the image!
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Yep. Thanks to you ✔ Thank you so much.
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I think you offered great advice. I think everyone tends to forget that a first draft is just that- a rough draft and that revision always comes after writing. Unfortunately it’s the doubt that keeps some people from writing.
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Thank you so much. How true is that though… Not letting that doubt control us.
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I think you gave good advice to your friend. When I finally learned to make writing a regular habit, that’s when I felt so much better about it. Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix to unlocking inspiration and allowing the wondrous writing to flow. About first drafts… I’m gonna say every first draft has something that can be polished about it. Typos or a flow in the story — whatever. So I wouldn’t publish a first draft.
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Thank you so much. I wanted her to stop wishing for that perfect first draft and feel that if it’s not perfect, there’s no point or future.
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There is a quote that says, write the first draft with your heart, then rewrite and edit with your head!! Her resistance just means that she is on to something, keep pushing through it and move forward. The difference between a writer and anyone else is a writer writes!! the first draft is never exceptional, thats unrealistic, Must read the Art of War. Keep writing!! Its that simple! there is no magical advice!!
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These are all great and true quotes 🙂
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I wish I could give you some advice, really. I write about what I’m passionate about and I have recently expanded that to include other fandoms, science, cool stuff I found on the net, etc. As for a first draft…I’m a perfectionist when it comes to writing. I can NOT continue on to the next word, sentence or paragraph if there is an error in the previous one! The advent of spell check being incorporated into browsers and word processors has only exacerbated my little OCD since it highlights anything it believes is wrong in RED!
Anything I write within these forums is EXPRESSLY my property. If you wish to copy or use it else where you MUST have my EXPRESS permission to do so.
“God gives us relatives; thank God, we can choose our friends.” Addison Mizner Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Feelings are NOT fact!
““If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything.”” – Marilyn Monroe
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I have that as well everywhere online, but when it come to writing a book, I learned to be more free. For me it changed a lot for good.
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I’ve tried to go on past the error but my peace of mind won’t hear of it sigh
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Sounds familiar 🙂
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I think this is great advice! Even when I write my blogs I always have to go back over and change things and I try to proof read them as much as a I can. Thanks for sharing! ❤ xo
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Yeah, I do that with my posts as well 😀 although today I messed up a bit with the picture, but it’s fixed now ❤
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Well I hadn’t even noticed!! 😉 ❤
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Cool 🙂
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I did NaNoWriMo for the first time this past year and spent many days saying “This is complete garbage. I suck.” My sister kept reminding me that ALL first drafts suck.
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How sweet of her ❤ Glad she made you see it. They all do… LOL
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Preach it! You speak the complete truth, the hard truth, but the complete truth. I used to struggle with this whole “just write” thing as well, which is where my reliance on “writer’s block” emerged. However, once I finally got over myself and did the work, I found it to be so freeing, and I finally understood what everyone meant. It’s a personal journey for sure, but if your friend is meant to get there, she will eventually.
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What a lovely comment, thank you 🙂 I am sure as well that if she is meant to do this, she will ❤ It was hard for to learn that, but now it's pure joy to know that it's better to write and write something that you can work on, than nothing all.
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Hey Galit your image for got any advice is mistyped.
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Omg thx 🙂 I guess I uploaded the wrong one, I had 2. LOL thank you so much for letting me know.
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You are welcome n.n
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I may not be a real writer but I was told by my English Teacher that to improve writing you need to keep reading novels and anything you could catch your interest in reading. When you do such thing, you’ll gain better knowledge in writing better. And gaining ideas would be much easier.
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That is so true. You really can’t be a good writer if you don’t read. luckily my friend loves to read a lot, like me 🙂
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Hahaha. Glad to help and contribute by commenting.
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I love reading comments. I learn so much from them and it’s fun. Lots of fun ❤
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I love it too Galit. I agree what u said
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I think first drafts are meant to be messy and full of ideas that may not even make the final cut and notes of things to add or change. When I student taught elementary school some years ago my cooperating teacher would call rough drafts, “sloppy copies” so I say no, they don’t have to be perfect lol. Hard for perfectionists though!
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Yeah it’s very hard! But after a few years of practice, lol,it’s gets easier.
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Excellent post. You have to start with the raw paint before it can become a work of art. It’s can either be hard and tedious work or it can be an amazing adventure… it’s all in the approach. 🙂
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You are so right. Every time I start painting at first I start with a faded painting then start the real one 🙂
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Gosh I sound just like your friend…messy, too many ideas squeezed into one plot and too fast. You are right, you just have to write. Good luck 🙂
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LOL Thank you 🙂 I am a very messy writer as well, lol, that’s so much more fun 😀
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Thx for describing me 🙂
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ヾ(●⌒∇⌒●)ノ Yay… more like me. I am not alone, lol.
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I’m not a writer but I read this piece just recently and thought it was really excellent – posted on Chuck Wendig’s blog. Thought your friend might like this – I thought it was great advice to anyone to be honest – whether they want to be a writer or not!:
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2015/01/13/delilah-s-dawson-25-writing-hacks-from-a-hack-writer/
Lynn 😀
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Thank you so much for sharing this, you are so sweet 🙂 I will check it out.
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