You sit down to write, ready to create a masterpiece. The words start flowing, but something feels off. Your dialogue sounds unnatural, your descriptions fall flat, and your plot feels like a tangled mess. The excitement fades into frustration, and a small, nagging voice in your head whispers: This is awful.
Guess what? It probably is. And that’s not just okay—it’s expected.
Every writer, from bestselling authors to complete beginners, writes terrible first drafts. The difference between those who finish their books and those who give up is understanding that the first draft isn’t about perfection—it’s about getting the story out of your head and onto the page.
Let’s look at why first drafts are messy, why that’s a good thing, and how to push through and turn them into something great.
Contents
First Drafts Aren’t Final Drafts (And They’re Not Supposed to Be)
A common mistake new writers make is expecting their first draft to read like a published novel. But writing isn’t about getting it perfect the first time—it’s about shaping and refining your ideas.
Think of It Like a Sculptor
A sculptor doesn’t start with a perfect statue. They start with a rough block of marble and chip away at it until the final masterpiece emerges. Your first draft is that block of marble. It’s rough, unpolished, and full of imperfections—but it’s the foundation you need to create something amazing.
First Drafts Help You Discover the Story
Even if you outline every detail before writing, your first draft is where you truly discover your story. Characters evolve, plot twists emerge, and sometimes, the story takes a direction you never expected.
Why This Happens:
- Ideas that seemed brilliant in your head don’t always work on paper.
- Your characters develop personalities of their own.
- New connections between scenes or themes emerge as you write.
Writing is a process of exploration. Your first draft is where you learn what works and what doesn’t.
Perfectionism Kills Progress
One of the biggest obstacles to finishing a book is the belief that every sentence must be flawless before you move on. This leads to endless rewrites and, for many writers, never finishing at all.
How to Overcome Perfectionism:
- Give yourself permission to write badly.
- Remind yourself that no one else will see this version.
- Focus on finishing first—polishing comes later.
The first draft is about progress, not perfection. You can’t edit a blank page, but you can improve a messy one.
Even Famous Authors Write Terrible First Drafts
If you’re feeling discouraged by your first draft, remember that even the most successful authors go through the same struggle.
Examples:
- Ernest Hemingway: “The first draft of anything is shit.”
- Anne Lamott: Calls them “shitty first drafts” in her book Bird by Bird.
- Jodi Picoult: “You might not write well every day, but you can edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”
Even the best books started as rough, messy drafts. The key is revising until they shine.
How to Keep Going When Your First Draft Feels Awful
It’s easy to lose motivation when you feel like your writing isn’t good enough. But the only way to finish your book is to push through the messy middle and keep going.
Tips for Staying Motivated:
- Set small goals: Instead of worrying about the entire book, focus on finishing one chapter at a time.
- Resist the urge to edit: Editing too soon can slow you down. Finish the draft first.
- Write daily (even if it’s just a little): Consistency builds momentum.
- Embrace the mess: Remind yourself that all first drafts are rough—it’s part of the process.
The Real Magic Happens in Revision
Your first draft is just the beginning. The real magic happens when you revise, refine, and reshape your story.
The Editing Process:
- Structural Edits: Fix plot holes, pacing issues, and character development.
- Line Edits: Improve sentence flow and clarity.
- Proofreading: Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Every bestselling book has gone through multiple drafts. Your first draft is just step one.
Embrace the Messy First Draft
Your first draft might be terrible. It might be messy, awkward, and full of plot holes. But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer—it means you’re a writer.
Writing is rewriting. The only way to create a great book is to first write a bad one. So, keep going, embrace the mess, and trust the process.
Your masterpiece is waiting—it just starts with a terrible first draft.
