The Power Horse First Draft

“You write and re-write because there’s something that you need to say. And just getting there is really hard to do.” – Minn Jin Lee on the Relationship Between Language and Power.

When you made the first decision to sit and write, I bet you thought, “I’ll sit, dedicate a few hours to writing, and jackpot; my first book, essay, and poem is set for publication.”

Just at what point did you realize that it is much easier to admire iStock pictures of a woman sitting in a coffee shop with her MacBook on a wooden table, a notepad, and a cup of black coffee lying side by side to her right than it is to sit down and craft beautiful sentences, dressed with style and confidence?

Min Jin Lee, the author of Free food for Millionaires and Pachinko, in her memoir On Selling Your First Novel After 11 Years, mentioned that she had a Banker’s Box filled with just drafts of a particular story which she had re-written 17 or 18 times before it was published by the Missouri Review. Did we mention that producing a fine piece requires a religious form of dedication?

Put simply, “Writing is Rewriting”

In rewriting, titles can change, a character might assume a new name, and an endearing sentence is either deleted or modified to better preserve the purpose of your work. In rewriting, we kill our darlings. It is only by re-reading a first draft that we discover that some sentences which we coveted, like Smeagol’s precious ring, just ain’t working out.

At the point of editing, it is advisable “to kill your darlings.” You’ll have to cut ties with those words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, and sometimes chapters that although dear to you, might irritate your reader. Honey, you’ll eventually heal from the heartbreak. I do not doubt it.

Recall that originally, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Which one of these titles would you have preferred?

According to Stefanie Flaxman, “Your draft paragraph served its purpose. Now it’s time to make it better.”

Stefanie Flaxman mentioned that when writing the first draft of her article Embrace Bad Writing to Master Great Writing, the Necessary Mess was referred to as the ugly draft.

I bet you weren’t expecting anyone to pat you on the back and say, “Hey there’s another way out.”

In all compassion and sincerity, your first draft is the Necessary Mess, in other words, it gets better with the 2nd, 3rd and sometimes 18th draft.

You might be like me who has found pleasure in churning out my words on a PC or perhaps you’re like Stafanie Flaxman who prefers to let it loose on a physical paper. Whatever your preference, here’s a pat on the back: “Embrace the mess. Write it through. Bleed it out. Groan it out. Step on the wings of mistakes, and please, do so unapologetically.”

You’ll only owe us—your readers, that apology when your final draft is still your final mess.

95% of all our admirable authors surmounted this phase. You read that right. Writing your first draft is a phase.

Just like a sculptor would carve out several layers of clay before the final work of wonders, and just like a painter would erase several lines and shades before a Mona Lisa becomes a national treasure, so is a piece of writing.

In the “Shitty First Drafts” chapter of Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird, she summarizes the three phases of writing in the following words: “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something—anything—down on paper. A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft—you just get it down. The second draft is the up draft—you fix it up. You try to say what you have to say more accurately. And the third draft is the dental draft, where you check every tooth, to see if it’s loose or cramped or decayed, or even, God help us, healthy.”

Just like Min Jin Lee, you can have a “Bank’s Box” of first drafts, and guess what? That’s OK. The more you draft, the clearer the picture you’re trying to paint and the clearer the picture, the more succinct and comprehensive you communicate your thoughts to your readers.

Perhaps we all need to learn from Austin Kleon’s motto: “It doesn’t matter if it’s good right now, it just needs to exist”

As we write, let’s remember Diane Keaton’s response to what perfection is. “It’s the death of creativity.”

We only have to get started.

“That’s how habits work. Start with the first word, with the first sentence, and build up over time.” – Bec Evans

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About Esther Ebubenna

Esther Ebubenna is a freelance writer who writes copies about cybersecurity and writing apps. She writes on several tips that have helped her as a freelance writer and editor.

Ebube has a knack for personal finance and from time to time, she writes about habits that can help an individual, particularly start-ups and college students manage personal finances.

Ebube is also a practising attorney, and her job has helped her in researching content for the copies she writes.

Her profession as an attorney influenced her attention to detail and communication, skills she utilizes in her write-ups.