The "shitty first" draft is always hardest for me. It makes so much sense that regularly breaking the proverbial seal makes it easier. Thanks, as always, for sharing good advice forged in the furnace of experience! And thanks for more of these evocative ekphrastic prompts!
The first drafts are always hardest for me, too. A blank page can be so intimidating! I love the editing and revision process, so it's always fun to go back to these drafts and see what's there--and have something to work from!
For a number of years in November, when others were doing Novels for NaNoWrMo, I would select 30 of my own photos and write a draft to one each day. It forced me to just let go and write whatever came out and not worry about making improvements as I wrote the draft, like I always tend to do. Later, after revision so many of those pieces were published. I haven’t done the piece a day thing for a few years, but I do remember (quite often) to just let that first draft flow. Those pieces often end up being some of my best. 😊
The "shitty first" draft is always hardest for me. It makes so much sense that regularly breaking the proverbial seal makes it easier. Thanks, as always, for sharing good advice forged in the furnace of experience! And thanks for more of these evocative ekphrastic prompts!
The first drafts are always hardest for me, too. A blank page can be so intimidating! I love the editing and revision process, so it's always fun to go back to these drafts and see what's there--and have something to work from!
Agreed! It really is about getting those raw materials down so there's something to play with.
For a number of years in November, when others were doing Novels for NaNoWrMo, I would select 30 of my own photos and write a draft to one each day. It forced me to just let go and write whatever came out and not worry about making improvements as I wrote the draft, like I always tend to do. Later, after revision so many of those pieces were published. I haven’t done the piece a day thing for a few years, but I do remember (quite often) to just let that first draft flow. Those pieces often end up being some of my best. 😊
It's really kind of freeing to just let that first draft flow! I've also had some of my favorite pieces come out of these month-long challenges.