The first few articles in this series on craft simply introduced you to some of the terminology associated with creative writing. This article and the ones that follow will explore these writing topics in depth.
This week’s topic is none other than the shitty first draft.
Shitty First Draft
You got a great idea at work, in the shower, before bed, at the movies. Or, you had a dream last night that inspired you. Or, one of your friends told you a fascinating tale.
It doesn’t matter how you got the idea to write. It only matters that you have the motivation to write. At this point, your entire focus should be the first draft—that shitty first draft.
What do I mean by “shitty?” I mean it will be bad, really bad. But don’t worry. Every writer writes them—even the greats. Shitty first drafts are the spring-board of the imagination.
There is no way around it. First drafts are bad, and they’re supposed to be that way. Think of your first draft as an outline. It will hint at the glorious idea that’s been stewing in your brain for days or weeks. It’s a glimpse, a thumbnail, the first few strokes of the painter’s brush, the first impression of a sculpture, the first few notes of a song.
With shitty first drafts, anything goes. Want your main character to be an alien vampire? That’s fine. Want to set a story in the Star Wars universe? Go for it. At this point, the only thing you must avoid doing is editing yourself.
Don’t Edit
Try to avoid editing your shitty first draft before it is finished. Let you mind explore freely. Don’t worry about details. All you are trying to do is test an idea. If it works—great! If not—well, you can always write another shitty first draft.
I have a first draft, now what?
Once you have created your shitty first draft, your journey as a writer can truly begin. In the next article on craft, I will introduce you to the process of drafting your story.