On First Drafts

otherwise known as I Am Procrastinating

If you’re a writer, maybe you know the misery of the first draft life. Or maybe you’re one of the lucky chosen few who actually *gulp* ENJOY writing a first draft. If so, I bow to you. I desperately wish I was you right now.

I’ve been battling the first draft of my next project since approximately February this year. And I’m still only 45,000 words in, which is about the halfway point. And maybe you’re thinking ‘well, maybe its a clean first draft'. NO. It’s not. It’s got brackets and notes and whole plot lines I need to revise and oh my GOD I’m already tired thinking about it.

There’s all kinds of advice out there about getting through a first draft: draft as fast and messy as possible; change your font to make it feel lower stakes; don’t reread or edit as you go; pretend you’re a kid and harness the energy of just writing for fun. That last one especially, I find super funny, because even as a KID I tossed writing projects that didn’t feel ‘good enough’. I don’t think I ever actually finished a book or story as a child because of the crippling perfectionism that has haunted me my entire life!!!

(yes, I am an oldest daughter. thanks for noticing.)

All of this to say, I don’t have any advice if you’re also feeling the drafting scaries. I am unqualified for that task. But I can offer solidarity and the exhausted hope that little by little, one word at a time, I will drag myself to the finish line. And then I’ll do it again. And again. And again. And it might be just as hard every time, but I can do hard things. And so can you, even if that hard thing isn’t writing a book.

Hard things are usually good things. Right??????? (this is a cry for help)

I’m tired. I don’t feel like writing. Everything I write feels hard and not good. But I fear the Sprinto bot is calling my name and I must answer. WE PRESS ON.

xo, Allie