Is it Normal for Rough Drafts to Suck?
When storytelling, the idea starts off blurry, and then we slowly refine it.
Think of a sculptor who has a raw stone and has to consistently chisel away at it.
The sculptor is lucky.
At least he’s given the stone.
For the writer, we have to create the stone.
And that is what the rough draft is.
Just like a stone would suck if we evaluated it as the final product, a rough draft won’t always be the best.
Imagine if a sculptor is given 8 years to create something.
And after 8 years, he just reveals the stone that he was given.
His investors and the audience would be irate!
Maybe 1 member out of the 100 will be like:
‘Wow, this is art.’
But most people would view the sculptor as lazy.
We do not judge the sculptor on the stone alone.
We judge him on the end-chiseled product.
It’s the same thing with writers and rough drafts.
Why Rough Drafts Usually Suck
The reason that rough drafts suck is because creativity is a complex process.
It’s also a messy one.
The idea seems clear in the mind, but when we try to express that idea, there are a lot of bumps and bruises.
- Sometimes, we lose our train of thought.
- Other times, we second-guess the point of the idea.
- Other times, we become too fixated on the grammar.
Due to the blurriness, we overthink.
When a writer overthinks, creativity goes out the window.
Rough drafts can be a hit every now and then, but that’s not the norm.
More often than not, it’s clunky for the beginner.
The #1 Tip for Writing a Rough Draft
Most people are unclear on what the purpose of a rough draft is.
They are just writing and hoping something presents itself.
Sloppy objectives get sloppy movements.
Let’s define the purpose of a rough draft.
The purpose of the rough draft is to get your idea from Point A (your mind) to Point B (the medium).
I recommend that you move fast.
But you hesitate to move fast…
‘Why do I hesitate to move fast?’
Because you don’t know enough.
You need to know A LOT about the topic before you create a rough draft.
Let me give you some beginner tips.
1. Know A Lot.
When you know a lot, often the rough draft just pores out of you.
We know we know a lot when we can ramble on the topic.
If we can’t ramble on the topic, then chances are that we need to study more.
If you try writing on a topic that you can’t ramble on, then you’ll be researching while writing the rough draft.
That’s a big no-no!
Which brings me to my next point….
2. Never Write the Rought Draft & Edit at the Same Time
Some people genuinely want the best for their piece.
But wanting the best makes them do too much when they should be doing little.
They write and edit at the same time.
Incorrect!
Writing a rough draft and editing require 2 completely different mindsets:
- When we write the rough draft, we want to be fast, bold, and not care too much about the spelling.
- When we edit, we want to be deliberate, scientific, and care about the spelling.
Trying to do both at the same time is a recipe for disaster.
It’s like clicking the accelerator and the brake at the same time.
Avoid!
3. Cut your Writing Time by 1/3rds
A timer holds you accountable.
When we know there are numbers tracking our movements, we become way more aware.
Set a timer when you do your rough draft.
Here’s an additional tip.
Divide whatever you think it’ll take you by 3.
This is a bold move.
If you think it’ll take you 30 minutes to write a rough draft, then give yourself around 10 minutes.
I thought this was a silly/impossible strategy before.
It used to take me 30 minutes to write a 1000-word rough draft.
I challenged myself with the 1/3 trick.
So, I gave myself only 10 minutes to write it.
I didn’t succeed.
It takes me 14-15 minutes to this day.
Still, that’s way faster than 30 minutes.
Nowadays, it’s way easier to get my ideas out there rather than overthinking.
Divide your desired time by 3.
Even if you miss the mark, you’ll at least have a rough draft to show for it.
4. Wait a Few Days to Edit
This tip is optional.
But the more you are tempted to write a rough draft and edit at the same time, the more you should think about taking this advice.
The reason why is that when you introduce a gap, the brain learns to separate the 2 different modes of content creation.
Now we know that when we write a rough draft, we are fast and bold.
When we edit, we are slower and more scientific.
Plus, when you look at your content piece a few days later, you’re way more objective.
The emotions have subsided, and you can see the content piece for what it is.
A lot of times, you’ll notice that the content is way better than you initially thought.
Practice Away
Rough drafts will often suck.
That’s a good thing though.
- A sucky rough draft >> No rough draft.
The person who created something sucky at least created something.
They engaged in the messy process of getting an idea from the mind to reality.
For that, I give them props.
The rough draft is the stone for the writer.
Now we must chisel away at it.
Remove redundant points.
Fix up the grammar.
Make the writing sound pleasant to the reader.
Mentally re-read the content piece.
Keep chiseling.
Soon, you can publish your work.
You are seeing the entire writing process through.
- Brainstorm.
- Write a rough draft.
- Wait.
- Edit.
- Publish.
Most people get stuck at 1.
So, if you make it to step 5, congrats.
You’re now a part of the rare few.
