Thoughts on First Drafts

 

When you started writing, did you try to write a full story all at one time? Once through and a few proofreading edits and you called it done? If you did, you were not alone. it takes some time for writers to figure out, or read and learn, that a first draft is merely Step 1 in the writing process. As Terry Prachett says, we are only telling ourselves the story in that first draft. It's not the end but a springboard to the final draft.

The quote using the image of shoveling sand into a box is one that brings a picture to us in an interesting way. That first draft is a whole lot of sand with which the writer will build castles by the time he/she reaches that delightful final draft. 

Perfection is never the aim when we write the first draft. We're trying to get our thoughts into words on paper or a computer screen. It's a transfer process moving from mind to something we can actually read. And yes, they are almost always far from perfect. Again, remember that is a first step, nothing more. 

The next steps involve proofreading, editing and revising, and finally, the finished product. So much goes into that final piece. 

Should you write the first draft of a short story or personal essay and move the process to the completed piece all in one day? Absolutely not. The first draft needs to simmer for days, even longer. It is then that you will be able to read it and see what needs to be done to polish those words into a submittable piece of writing. 

What about the first draft of a poem? Same thoughts, same process. Give it time to sit awhile and then do the editing. You'll see the places that need changing more easily. Try to do the editing immediately after writing the first draft, and you'll miss so many little things. Patience comes into play here.