First Drafting, Part 6: Perfectionism

When I first started writing, I would frequently re-start stories because the beginning wasn’t “quite right” in my beginners opinion.  I was always going back and deleting paragraphs, sentences, entire chapters.  I was getting nowhere, because in my mind, I had to get everything exactly right.  The first time.

Does anyone else feel the need to make your story perfect?  Does anyone else tend to go backwards as much as they go forwards?  Does your word count stay the same even after you spend time changing things?



Today I have three short and (hopefully) easy to remember rules.  If you abide by them, they may just help you get that draft finished in no time.

Don’t Stop Writing

Seriously.  Don’t stop.  Simple as that.

If you realize that you made a mistake – don’t go back and fix it.  If you change a character’s name or gender – don’t go back and fix it.  If you completely change, remove, or add a side plot – don’t go back and start over.

Just keep writing.  And keep writing with the new change, the new name, the new character, as if that’s how the story had been all along.

You will always find reasons to start over, and if you let yourself continue to go back and rewrite, you’ll get stuck in an endless loophole.

So what can you do with those things that need to be changed?

First Draft Notes

Start a new document/small notebook/your choice to use for your first draft notes (or FDN).  I find this really helpful to keep track changes I made or want to make, and it’s also a great starting point for editing.

If you remember you neglected to mention an important clue or write a particular conversation a chapter or so back, instead of going back to fix it, just make a note in your FDN and keep going forward.

Changed a name?  Make a note about it.  Changed the plot?  Make notes so you know where you started with the new plot.  Have ideas about how to edit things?  Make extensive notes, and just keep pushing through that first draft.

By the time you are done, you will have a finished draft, and lots of notes to help you through editing.

Pick Your Changes

Typos.  You can go and change them, or you can leave them.  If there are only a couple, chance them.  If you won’t remember the word you meant, change it.  If you’re in the middle of a word war, leave it.

Minor details.  If it’ll take you a few minutes to go back and correct, feel free to go for it.  Just make sure you don’t get sidetracked.

Things you strongly feel you need to change now.  If you really think they should be changed now, then go ahead and change it.  Or maybe this is why you’re not finishing, and you should restrain yourself.  You know who you are, and I don’t.  Use wisdom.

And remember this above all: this is a first draft.  You are still figuring out the story.  You are not going to send it to the publishers as soon as you type “the end.”  Edits exist for a reason, but you need something to edit before you can start them.

It may be rough at times.  Awkward at others.  Beautiful.  Enjoyable.  Hard.  Cringe-worthy.  Funny.  But just keep writing, and don’t stop!

12 comments:

  1. This is so encouraging and helpful, thank you! <3

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  2. Yes to all of this!! I would struggle with this so badly. I finally decided to do what I needed to do and Keep moving forward. Its important to get to the end before fixing things. <3

    ~Ivie
    iviewrites.blogspot.com

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    1. Sometimes it's hard, and sometimes it's easy. But we need to just press onward!!

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  3. I used to do this so well, but the editing monster has taken hold of me again. I'm always reading back over what I just wrote and tweaking when I really should just move on. I'll try hard not to do that :)

    Great post and much appreciated reminder! Thanks, Julian <3

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    1. It can be especially tempting to go back and do tiny edits, because they "won't take long!" Resist and just keep on writing. I know you can do it!!

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  4. Yes, yes and yes. This is a major problem with me. I polish while I draft, which is not exactly the best thing to do in the world. Thank you for this, Julian!

    Catherine
    catherinesrebellingmuse.blogspot.com

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    1. Some people can do it, and somehow still finish in decent time. But I am not one of those...so just stuff that dust rag in your pocket for later and keep on drafting!

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  5. I love that picture!

    I allow myself to fix typos during a first draft, even during word sprints. It'll bother me until I fix them. But I don't fix other details until the edits. Usually. Unless it's really bad.

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    1. Yeah, Evangeline has some amazing skills, doesn't she?

      I usually fix typos, though sometimes I get in this NO YOU ARE NOT GOING TO STOP WRITING JUST KEEP GOING FORWARD mood.

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  6. Absolutely--don't stop and don't fix everything. but so hard to do... Push through the yuck, leave blanks or WHAT or WHO DOES WHAT when needed. but get the story down! Nice reconnecting with you!

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    1. It was great to see you again and hear about your own writing! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  7. I can't thank you enough for this post! It is just what I needed!

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