Comments on: First Draft Mantra: Make it Crappy http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/ Writing and Creative Success Through Righteous, Rockin' Rebellion Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:00:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Cate http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-21 Cate Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:09:57 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-21 Good luck placing your novel... Good luck placing your novel…

]]> By: Amy http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-23 Amy Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:26:20 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-23 Hey Cate - thanks for stopping by, and for the good wishes. And your site is wonderful - I very much dig the nerdery, as well as your fascination with Supernatural. I like the Winchester boys myself! Hey Cate - thanks for stopping by, and for the good wishes. And your site is wonderful - I very much dig the nerdery, as well as your fascination with Supernatural. I like the Winchester boys myself!

]]> By: Charlie Gilkey http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-25 Charlie Gilkey Fri, 07 Mar 2008 05:23:35 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-25 I love the insight here. Reminds me of Hemingway: "I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit...I try to put the shit in the wastebasket." In other references, Merlin Mann had a podcast called "First-Time Sex and the Beauty of 1.0," in which his main point was just to get something done...because you can't build something on nothing. I'm glad you stuck with it and recognized that, no matter how bad it may have been (which I seriously doubt it was as bad as you make it), there were good parts. One idea, a few good parts, and determination to finish the story are probably what have made the great works of history. Good luck placing your novel. I love the insight here. Reminds me of Hemingway: “I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit…I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.”

In other references, Merlin Mann had a podcast called “First-Time Sex and the Beauty of 1.0,” in which his main point was just to get something done…because you can’t build something on nothing.

I’m glad you stuck with it and recognized that, no matter how bad it may have been (which I seriously doubt it was as bad as you make it), there were good parts. One idea, a few good parts, and determination to finish the story are probably what have made the great works of history.

Good luck placing your novel.

]]> By: Kim http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-26 Kim Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:46:45 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-26 I've just recently found your blog & I LOVE it! This piece is especially wonderful & reinforces exactly how I write. Just get it out & come back to it later. I usually find out it sucks & fix it, but the basic idea was pretty good. If you wait, you might lose the idea all together. I guess that's the beauty of computers...we can easily edit! I've sent this to my friend who is just thinking about getting into writing. Thanks for the continued inspiration & way to go on the novel! I’ve just recently found your blog & I LOVE it! This piece is especially wonderful & reinforces exactly how I write. Just get it out & come back to it later. I usually find out it sucks & fix it, but the basic idea was pretty good. If you wait, you might lose the idea all together. I guess that’s the beauty of computers…we can easily edit!

I’ve sent this to my friend who is just thinking about getting into writing. Thanks for the continued inspiration & way to go on the novel!

]]> By: Amy http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-28 Amy Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:57:14 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-28 @Charlie: I've never seen that Hemingway quote before. How terrific! And good lord, that sex reference made me laugh. Thanks for the encouragement. @Kim: Welcome! So glad to convert another disciple :) I totally agree on computers. I'm too young to know what the world of typewriters and long-hand drafts was like. Painful is all I can imagine! Thanks for reading, and kudos to your blog too. Love the "potato-chip-brownie-bottom-ice-cream-pie" reference. I think I've had that before... @Charlie: I’ve never seen that Hemingway quote before. How terrific! And good lord, that sex reference made me laugh. Thanks for the encouragement.

@Kim: Welcome! So glad to convert another disciple :) I totally agree on computers. I’m too young to know what the world of typewriters and long-hand drafts was like. Painful is all I can imagine! Thanks for reading, and kudos to your blog too. Love the “potato-chip-brownie-bottom-ice-cream-pie” reference. I think I’ve had that before…

]]> By: Sherree Geyer http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-29 Sherree Geyer Sat, 08 Mar 2008 03:21:17 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-29 Kudos to you for having the strength of character to look that first draft in the eye and rewrite it. I was not so courageous. When I was 16 or 17, I attempted to write a novel longhand. I finished about 150 pages, before deciding to reread it. I cringed, crumpled up the pages and never again attempted anything so long and arduous, convinced as I was at the time that I had no talent and that "real" writers effortlessly spilled eloquent words on paper without rewriting them. Good luck getting a publisher for your novel. What's it about if I may ask? Sherree Kudos to you for having the strength of character to look that first draft in the eye and rewrite it. I was not so courageous. When I was 16 or 17, I attempted to write a novel longhand. I finished about 150 pages, before deciding to reread it. I cringed, crumpled up the pages and never again attempted anything so long and arduous, convinced as I was at the time that I had no talent and that “real” writers effortlessly spilled eloquent words on paper without rewriting them.

Good luck getting a publisher for your novel. What’s it about if I may ask?

Sherree

]]> By: Amy http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-33 Amy Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:18:51 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-33 Hey Sherree - welcome! I had the same experience as a teenager. I remember devoting my study hall time to this epic soap-opera trash that would just curl my toes in agony today. But that experience was enough to put me off novel writing for many years as well. You bring up a good point too about "real" writers. I think we have to contend with our own perfectionist notions of what real writers are everyday, in our freelance work, in our private work, in our personal life. It can be frustrating and humbling. But every once in awhile I pull back and realize - wait. I *am* a "real" writer! And I make my own rules. That's the joy of this job :) Hey Sherree - welcome! I had the same experience as a teenager. I remember devoting my study hall time to this epic soap-opera trash that would just curl my toes in agony today. But that experience was enough to put me off novel writing for many years as well.

You bring up a good point too about “real” writers. I think we have to contend with our own perfectionist notions of what real writers are everyday, in our freelance work, in our private work, in our personal life. It can be frustrating and humbling. But every once in awhile I pull back and realize - wait. I *am* a “real” writer! And I make my own rules. That’s the joy of this job :)

]]> By: Sherree Geyer http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-68 Sherree Geyer Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:38:46 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-68 I once read a comment by a popular British novelist (name escapes me) who claimed to write everything in longhand once. He said if you couldn't get it right the first time, you weren't a real writer. What a skewer to my self-confidence! It still takes me multiple drafts to get what I want down on paper and I've been doing this for years! BTW, I made my attempt at novel writing in study hall too. And it was an Edgar Allen Poe-inspired gothic epic! Yuck! I still cringe at the memories!! I once read a comment by a popular British novelist (name escapes me) who claimed to write everything in longhand once. He said if you couldn’t get it right the first time, you weren’t a real writer. What a skewer to my self-confidence! It still takes me multiple drafts to get what I want down on paper and I’ve been doing this for years!

BTW, I made my attempt at novel writing in study hall too. And it was an Edgar Allen Poe-inspired gothic epic! Yuck! I still cringe at the memories!!

]]> By: warillever http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-154 warillever Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:40:53 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-154 I needed to hear this today. Thank you for tweeting this to ProBlogger. Now I need to stop reading and just WRITE. I needed to hear this today.
Thank you for tweeting this to ProBlogger.
Now I need to stop reading and just WRITE.

]]> By: ali http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-155 ali Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:51:15 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-155 I just did this last week - writing a law school application essay. I knew as I was writing it that it was terrible, but I had to get everything out that I wanted to say and I was scared that if I stopped to think about the perfect word, phrase, or sentence structure I would miss the chance to include all the ideas I had ready to spill out. I haven't looked back at it yet but I'm sincerely hoping when I do that there will be some decent stuff in among all the crap that I can weed out and use! Thanks for posting this - good to know other people find this technique helpful. I just did this last week - writing a law school application essay. I knew as I was writing it that it was terrible, but I had to get everything out that I wanted to say and I was scared that if I stopped to think about the perfect word, phrase, or sentence structure I would miss the chance to include all the ideas I had ready to spill out. I haven’t looked back at it yet but I’m sincerely hoping when I do that there will be some decent stuff in among all the crap that I can weed out and use!

Thanks for posting this - good to know other people find this technique helpful.

]]> By: Amy http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-156 Amy Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:30:46 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-156 @warillever: Thanks for reading, and so glad it helped a bit. I know I often do anything and everything besides write when I'm worried about making the perfect piece - that's when it helps to remember to make it shitty :) @ali: So true - this works so well for stuff like applications. I'm sure when you go over it you'll cringe a bit, but find some gems in there! Good luck! @warillever: Thanks for reading, and so glad it helped a bit. I know I often do anything and everything besides write when I’m worried about making the perfect piece - that’s when it helps to remember to make it shitty :)

@ali: So true - this works so well for stuff like applications. I’m sure when you go over it you’ll cringe a bit, but find some gems in there! Good luck!

]]> By: Evaine http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-3251 Evaine Wed, 21 May 2008 16:23:48 +0000 http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/2008/03/06/first-draft-mantra-make-it-crappy/#comment-3251 Good post. You make some great points that most people do not fully understand. "It goes against all of our good writer techniques, right? The thought that we would deliberately write something that might suck balls goes against the writer’s simmering stew of hubris and deep-seated insecurity and career aspirations. But man, it worked. Once I removed the goal of laying down perfection in every paragraph and page, it freed me to get the story down. It helped me write something I’m proud of. It helped me finish the damn thing." I like how you explained that. Very helpful. Thanks. Good post. You make some great points that most people do not fully understand.

“It goes against all of our good writer techniques, right? The thought that we would deliberately write something that might suck balls goes against the writer’s simmering stew of hubris and deep-seated insecurity and career aspirations. But man, it worked. Once I removed the goal of laying down perfection in every paragraph and page, it freed me to get the story down. It helped me write something I’m proud of. It helped me finish the damn thing.”

I like how you explained that. Very helpful. Thanks.

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