Don’t Fall In Love With Your First Draft

I am one of those authors who has to let an idea circle around in my brain for a while before I can commit to it. I think about the idea. I think of different scenarios, and I basically start writing in my brain first, before anything gets put down on paper. However, this does not mean that once my story is put into the first draft, it doesn’t get changed at least once or twice.

In fact, I have learned that the first draft is just that—a first draft. It is not the finished book, and it certainly doesn’t have to be perfect. Sometimes we get so excited about finally seeing our story on paper that we become attached to every word, every sentence, and every character we’ve created. We may look at a paragraph we worked hard on and think, I can’t possibly take that out! But sometimes, taking it out is exactly what the story needs.

The first draft is where you get the words onto the page. It gives you something to work with. You may have a wonderful idea in your head, but until you actually write it down, you can’t always see what is working and what isn’t. Once the words are on paper, you can step back and look at your story with a different set of eyes. Read it. Walk away, come back, and read it out loud. You may discover that a scene doesn’t belong, a character needs to be changed, or the story needs a completely different ending.

This is where editing becomes so important. Editing isn’t just about correcting spelling, grammar, and punctuation. It is about looking at the whole story and asking yourself some important questions. Does the story make sense? Does it move along at the right pace? Is there anything that feels unnecessary? Are there places where the reader might become confused? Is the main character doing what the story requires? And, most importantly, is the story still telling the message you intended to share?

Sometimes the hardest part of editing is admitting that something you really like doesn’t belong. You might have written what you think is the funniest sentence in the entire book, but if it doesn’t move the story forward, it may have to go. You might have spent an entire afternoon writing a scene you absolutely love, only to realize later that the story is better without it. Or, as I have said before, one of your Beta Readers may not think that part is funny. They may not like something else about it. That can be difficult! When you finish writing, you are still emotionally connected to the story. Everything is fresh. You remember how hard you worked on that particular paragraph or why you chose a certain word. But remember, you are not throwing away your creativity; rather, you are making room for a better story.

Stories have a way of telling us what they need. Don’t be surprised if your story changes more than you expected. That’s why the manuscript is called the first draft. One of the best things you can do as an author is give yourself permission to change your mind. Your first draft is not a promise that every word will make it into the final book. Instead, think of it as a starting point. It is a place where your ideas can live long enough for you to examine them, rearrange them, and make them into a great story.

So, don’t fall in love with your first draft. Appreciate it. Celebrate it. Be proud that you finished it. Then be willing to roll up your sleeves and start making changes. The goal isn’t to protect the first version of your story. The goal is to create the best version of your story you possibly can.