How to write 3: Writing a first draft
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2025 6:15 am
Many people find that writing a first draft is harder than rewriting it. It’s hard to sit down and think about half-formed ideas without getting distracted.
That's why I recommend you write a rough first draft as quickly as possible. Your goal is to go into "overdrive" - to break through laziness and blockages and get ideas on paper. This will allow you to enter the rewrite phase, which works surprisingly well.
That’s why, whenever I get stuck in a bad first draft, I use a “placeholder”: When an idea requires more thought than expected, I just write <fill in> and move on. My goal is to generate and connect ideas. Don’t explain everything yet, and certainly don’t say nice things. Save that for a later draft.
This also means I don't care about originality on iran mobile database my first draft. Start with imitation, then iterate towards originality over time. That's the only way to be efficient and avoid getting stuck.
When you write a first draft, you write it for yourself. When you rewrite it, you write it for other people.
- Stephen King
The first draft process
Here are the processes you’ll explore:
Select a target.
Clarify the ideas needed to achieve your goals.
Stack up material for each idea. Then indulge in the daydream.
If you come up with good ideas easily, skip this page.
That's why I recommend you write a rough first draft as quickly as possible. Your goal is to go into "overdrive" - to break through laziness and blockages and get ideas on paper. This will allow you to enter the rewrite phase, which works surprisingly well.
That’s why, whenever I get stuck in a bad first draft, I use a “placeholder”: When an idea requires more thought than expected, I just write <fill in> and move on. My goal is to generate and connect ideas. Don’t explain everything yet, and certainly don’t say nice things. Save that for a later draft.
This also means I don't care about originality on iran mobile database my first draft. Start with imitation, then iterate towards originality over time. That's the only way to be efficient and avoid getting stuck.
When you write a first draft, you write it for yourself. When you rewrite it, you write it for other people.
- Stephen King
The first draft process
Here are the processes you’ll explore:
Select a target.
Clarify the ideas needed to achieve your goals.
Stack up material for each idea. Then indulge in the daydream.
If you come up with good ideas easily, skip this page.