Quick Tip: Don’t Edit your First Draft
December 29, 2007 by Eric Eggertson
Filed under Marketing
A lot of people say they have trouble writing. If you ask some questions, you often find out that they get stuck trying to make their first draft perfect.
Stop.
It’s not supposed to be perfect. It’s a first draft. Inherent in the name is the idea that there’s a second draft (and probably more) to follow.
Lots of time to fix typos, move paragraphs, hone word choice and all that. But not if you stay stuck on that first draft.
Get the damn thing down as quickly as you can. Don’t show it to anyone yet (especially not clients, who might freak out at spelling errors and other basic mistakes).
Revisit your original outline for the piece (if you had one), then read the draft again to see if you missed any important points. Look at the flow of ideas. Do the examples reinforce your main thesis? Do you even have a thesis? Make structural changes, and identify where you need to create or improve transitions between thoughts.
Only when you have the structure of the piece where you want it to be should you bother honing the wording, correcting spelling and checking facts. (Why fix a typo at the beginning when you might delete the whole paragraph?
Now, let’s not hear any more guff about not being able to get your writing done.
Tags: business, communications, editing, writers block, drafts, technique, tips, articles, reports, writers
Ah, perfection. This tip might be your best. The day I became a prolific writer is the day I realized the first thing on paper wasn’t going to be the last thing on the paper. Teaching yourself how to edit (and thus not mull over the first draft so long) is sometimes the hardest thing to learn. But you’ll be better in the long run taking Eric’s advice and just putting the first try down. Great post, E.
I looked at the headline and went “what!!!!!” But you’re so right Eric! So many people get caught in details like typos way before they should and it stops them cold.
I have a friend, oh never mind, we all do… friends who can’t get passed the first ‘graph… you know.
A
My writing mentor taught me to write using the “diarrhea method” — he said I should just go SPLAT and get it all out, then go back and clean it up. Kind of graphic, but I’ve never forgotten it!
My problem is interruptions. With kids and clients and chapters nipping at the heels at all times, I am hard-pressed to roll anything resembling coherence out my blog.
Assuming, of course, there was any value there to being with.
I agree entirely and try to teach this to my kids and to students I have had. You also mention something that a lot of people forget – an outline. If you go through the process of outlining, then a draft, then check against outline and check for structure, then polish, you will actually get a lot more done. And you won’t forget the details. Often details are left out because to much time was spent on “word choice” and “sound.”
how should i improve my communication skill.