Pushing Through

What’s your biggest writing fear? I think the number one thing I hear people say is they’re afraid of their work turning out bad.

I hate first drafts. They’re called rough drafts for a reason. This week, I began the process of writing my third novel, and it’s horrible. I never feel good about my books until at least the third draft. It’s been tough to write this first chapter, and honestly, I’m writing this blog post to force myself to realize it’s okay to have a trashy first draft. I can’t have a third draft until I have a first one. Then I can edit. But I’m sure you understand how hard it is to see a story look so bad.

But I’m giving you permission to write junk. I’m giving myself permission to do the same thing. It’s okay to have fun doing it. It’s okay to be proud of a terrible first draft because that’s just what it is. A draft.

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“If I waited for perfection…I would never write a word.” – Margaret Atwood

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