Start the First Draft at Bad, Then Trust that You Will Make it Better
A craftsman doesn’t use all the raw materials they started with when they craft their work. Whether it’s a woodworker constructing a step-ladder, a blacksmith shaping a sword, or a shipbuilder assembling a vessel, there is always scrap leftover from the process.
The Process of All Well-Crafted Work
And their process is often one of guiding the constant working, the shaping and the refinement of material and applied work towards the intended end product.
In constructing a step-ladder woodworker is not done measuring, sawing, or sanding when outlining its first step. And they certainly don’t finish their work within the first 10 minutes.
In shaping a sword, a blacksmith must wait for iron ore to melt and continue to shape the blade while the metal is still malleable. Sharpening comes later. It’s a daylong process that may span multiple days.
And the shipbuilder? Even the blueprint required multiple drafts, feedback, discussion, and revision. The builders didn’t just slap the ship together by afternoon and the crew didn’t set sail that same evening.
The Process of Well-Crafted Writing
So why is it that we expect so much perfection of ourselves when we attempt to write? In writing, we — like any other expert craftsman — will need more raw material than we ultimately end up using. This means multiple drafts after our first. The beauty and brilliance are likely to be built after the first draft, but you need enough raw material to redo your work, which means it’s almost guaranteed there will be scrap material that we toss out or set aside.
Like any other expert craftsman who cares, our work will and should be a constant work in progress. Done doesn’t come from an initial attempt of one.
As a writer, you might not be better than any expert craftsman who has been constantly pursuing their craft for years, maybe even decades. But you can give yourself permission to start with bad, and you can then trust yourself to craft your bad into better.
It’s not talent. It’s permission, trust, commitment, work ethic, discipline, and industrious in the pursuit of mastery that eventually leads to it.
