Whether you want to write a novel, memoir, non-fiction or write a poetry book, the first draft should exist merely for you to tell yourself the content of whatever you’re writing.
It offers a magical, exciting opportunity for you to get your ideas out of your head and onto the page. It is the time when you don’t need to worry about punctuation, grammar or spelling, you can come back to that!
At this stage, you need to be aware of what will make your writing stronger and utilise all the tools available to you such as imagery, setting, dialogue, pace and tension. Whether you write a novel in a month, six months or a year, this applies.
Some writers plan more than others so you may already have a skeleton onto which you’re adding some flesh. Whether you’ve got the bare bones already or you’re going forward from the idea which is fermenting within your mind, the first draft stage should be the most enjoyable phase. Yet it’s the stage at which most writers doubt themselves. Thoughts such as ‘am I wasting my time?’ and ‘will anyone ever want to read this?’ can creep in, uninvited. Especially those who want to write a novel and get it published or write poetry for money.
Whilst, being published and getting work in front of readers may be the ultimate aim, this is not the time to get too hung up on that. Yes, keep the potential target audience in the back of your mind but at this stage, just keep moving forward. Most pieces of writing, whatever form they take, go through at least half a dozen drafts before they are ready to be unleashed on the world.
The magical first draft should be just that, magical. The chance to impart your creative energy and have fun with it. The work can wait until the editing. And that’s before you think about pitching and marketing. Keep creation fun and remember no one can write the amazing first draft apart from you. You can only improve something which already exists so keep on believing and keep on writing.
For more support see
Moving forwards and carrying on are key! Great blog
I agree! I’ve often said that the way I write hasn’t changed for all the time I’ve spent studying, but the way I edit is very different. The first draft is still just downloading it all from my brain. The ‘clever’ stuff all happens later.
Great post. I’d never thought before of the first draft as magical – but why not? That makes sense. Especially if it has the power to inspire you to keep writing!
Next year I’m hoping to start building a N gauge train layout. I’ve been mulling over what it might look like for several weeks already. I’m nearly ready to produce my first drawing,. The stage I’m at now, playing with ideas in my head, is like getting the first draft of a poem onto paper. Ive thought about it as catching the idea, individual poems are ok but I’m still way off that eureka moment of who I’m writing for, what it will look like. Until I catch those critical ideas I’m just writing stuff that stirs me
Thanks for this Bill. I love the thought of it as as ‘catching the idea.’ I think you get the Eureka moment you mention each time you sit down and begin a new poem.