The first week of Nanowrimo is over and this is the time when a lot of people give up on the challenge. Why? Because writing a draft is hard. Really hard. A lot of people misunderstand what the purpose of a first draft is, so let’s dispel the rumors and discuss that right now.
What is a draft?
A draft is a version of your story written on paper and expected to be revised and perfected. A draft is not a polished piece.
First drafts are not supposed to be perfect stories. The writing is expected to be rough and confusing. That’s why a first draft is sometimes called a rough draft. It’s not supposed to be pretty. A common saying is that it’s hard to edit a blank page, and that’s true. You can’t revise or perfect what’s not on the page.
Sometimes the ideas in our head don’t make a lot of sense when we write them on paper or say them out loud. Which is exactly what trips up a lot of writers (including myself). Our story sounds good in our head, but when we put it on paper, it doesn’t seem as good. That’s normal. That’s a part of the messy writing process.
Keep writing. The goal of the first draft is simply to get all your ideas on paper in whatever messy form they come out as. So have fun! Don’t take yourself too seriously. The first draft is always the worst. Enjoy it and throw a random ninja in there. Happy Writing!
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