Writing the First Draft

You've come up with an idea for a story, a book, an essay, or article. Perhaps a poem. You feel those writing juices simmering, but you're not quite ready to begin writing. You want to ponder on the idea, let it twirl and swirl in your mind for a bit. Perhaps you want to do a bit of research.

Then, the day comes that you're ready to write. Write it and send it to a publication with the great hope that, one day, you'll see your piece in print. 

But wait! It's not simple. The first writing of your story is only the first draft. It might be compared to a ballet dancer working out on stage all alone on a new routine.  It's merely the beginning of what one hopes will be outstanding later. 

This first writing is only the beginning. It's you transferring the ideas from your head onto paper or a screen. As Terry Patchett said, "The first draft is you telling yourself the story." A very apt description. 

Another quote for today from Shannon Hale, YA author is "I'm writing a first draft and reminding myself that I'm simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles." You have the ingredients in the first draft that lead you to a finished product.

The third quote, which is anonymous, says "First drafts don't have to be perfect. They just have to be written." Keyword here is 'first' which lets you know there is more to come before this project comes to fruition. 

Are there any rules regarding first drafts? Not really. Once again, the choice is yours. Some writers start the first draft, keep writing, and don't look at it until it's completed. Others edit as they go. It's a stop and start situatuon. 

What is universal, however, is that this draft is merely the beginning of the entire project. You'll spend time revising and editing. Some writers do multiple editing processes, while others make it a once or twice habit. Those who do a large number of edits may end up frustrated and doubting themselves. Again, do what works for you, but don't overdo it. If you cease the revisions and editing, you may never feel you finally have a finished product. It could also mean you're a bit fearful of calling it done because then you must be about the business of submitting. A little scary in itself for some writers.

Keep the word 'first' in mind when you begin a new writing project. It's the first time you put your idea into words and sentences and paragraphs. Hopefully, the best is yet to come. 

 

Writing a First Draft

 

I've got an idea for a story to send to a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. I've been trying to get a first draft written, but I get a few paragraphs and then decide it is no good. Quit. Start again another day. I realized yesterday that I should have finished each of those first attempts. Get a full first draft done and then revise after it sits for a few days.

The poster today tells us that the first draft is just a working piece to help you create a strong finished story. Some writers end up with multiple first drafts for one story idea. Is that wrong? No. You do whatever works for you. You might snip this and that from each draft and weave them together for the final one. 

There are times when we write a first draft that is almost a finished product. We only need a few minor edits. It happens, but I can't say I've done it a majority of the time. I think the kind of of first draft that needs little editing comes when we work on the story idea in our mind for a fair amount of time. It's one reason we find it hard to fall asleep at night. In the quiet darkness of our bedroom, we can sift and sort the story idea mentally for....often too long a time. 

Work on that idea in your head while doing household tasks that don't require much mental effort on your part. Unloading the dishwasher takes little mental acuity. Grab a dish or two and keep working on the idea in your head.

I have read a good many quotes by writers about first drafts. That should tell us the importance of writing one. No writer should sit down at a keyboard, write the story, and submit to a publisher all in one fell swoop. Nope. You need to go through this process step by step.

Write a first draft.

Let it sit for a few days.

Proofread, edit, and revise

Let it sit a little longer.'

Do a final edit.

Let it sit another day or two, then submit.

This all comes down to taking time to write what was once only an idea in your mind. Don't rush! Remember in school when you rushed to write a paper last minute? Was it your best work? Probably not. 

Never negate the importance of the first draft. It is the beginning of the process which leads to a finished product. 

Writing A First Draft

Has there ever been a first draft written that could be deemed perfect? Most doubtful! Even though many high school students will zip off an essay assignment in one sitting and call it done. Why? Because all they care about is completing the assignment and handing it in. 

But you, the writer, cannot be that nonchalant about your writing. You know that the first draft is nothing but the base of the building you plan to erect, brick by brick if need be. We need that first draft to see where we are going. We also must have it to find the places that need help or ones that should be cut out--sent forever to the land of lost words.

I love the quote above. It makes the point so very well. The first draft is only a beginning. How much you build onto that is the writer's choice. Some writers will do one revision/edit and call it finished. Others will work on a piece of writing many times before they feel satisfied enough to submit it to a market. That's the writer's decision. Sometimes, it's agonizing. With each revision, a writer asks: 

   Is this the best this can be?

   If I revise one more time, will I mess it up completely? 

  Should I give it one more go? 

  Am I satisfied with this result?

The more we write, the easier it is to assess the revised first draft. Beginning writers have a much harder time deciding when to call it finished. 

This past week-end, I submitted the first draft of a poem I'd started one day when in a real funk. The poem was about as negative as one can get. I set it aside and went back to it the next day. I inserted new, more positive, verses between the originals. It seemed to work better but it was still that raw, first draft. I like the word raw in describing a first draft. I subbed the poem and asked my writing group if they thought it too simple to be worth anything. I expected little or no response but was pleasantly surprised when several critiqued the poem with praise plus some excellent suggestions for making it better. 

What if I had not submitted to the group? What if I'd shoved that first draft into a file and left it there? Of course, there is still no way of knowing if that particular poem will ever be published but after revisions, it very well might be.

Don't give up on a first draft. Remember that it is only a beginning. It heads you in the right direction for a finished product. Never expect perfection from a first draft. You're not that high school student who only wants to complete an assignment. You're a writer who wants to produce a polished piece of writing. The first draft cannot swirl in your mind forever. Whether it turns out pretty good or just plain awful, it has to be written.