Shitty draft – embrace fear and start writing

Have you ever written a shitty draft? You’d probably say: “Of course, I’ve written many shitty drafts” 😅. But I’m actually asking if you’ve done it on purpose.

Last month I was taking a class at the university, and because summer classes are only six weeks long, the workflow is heavy, to put it mildly. In this class, I had to write the first two chapters of my Master’s project and, needless to say, I was intimidated.

But you know what? It turned out to be way better than I thought. It was just easier and smoother than I’d anticipated.

And it was all because of the “shitty draft.”

When the professor shared the class syllabus at the beginning of the class, there were dates next to which it was written: shitty draft 1 due, shitty draft 2 due and so on. My thoughts were: WHAT?!?!

I had never seen anything like that in a university class syllabus, but it made me feel at ease because the word “shitty” took the pressure off. I usually tend to overthink before I start writing something because I feel that it needs to be perfect from the get-go. But this time, I felt that I just made an outline (a shitty one) and then I edited it. This is the power of the “shitty draft.”

What is a shitty draft and why we need it

A shitty first draft is when you sit down and write all of your thoughts without correcting anything. This is the time to put down anything that comes to your mind without paying attention to typos or incorrect grammar. The author Anne Lamott who coined the term and wrote about it in Bird by Bird, describes it this way:

 

The first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place.

 

The shitty draft’s most important role is not to make you feel good about your writing skills, but to have the first, raw collection of your thoughts written down so that you don’t forget something. If you chase perfection at this stage of your writing process, you risk forgetting some crucial points while trying to correct grammar and spelling.

Why are we so afraid of the shitty draft?

But why are we so afraid of the shitty draft? Is it because of the writer’s block? The American best-selling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin talks about it in his blog, arguing that:

 

People with writer’s block don’t have a problem typing. They have a problem living with bad writing, imperfect writing, writing that might expose something that they fear.

 

It looks like most people are afraid of producing bad writing. But for people whose native language is not English, writing in English can be extra intimidating. We constantly check every sentence we write to see if we’ve used the right word or correct grammar because we think that native speakers constantly judge our intelligence based on our language skills. But inspiring is better than perfect, so if your message can inspire someone or teach someone something, then it is worth sharing even if you think that it’s imperfect. So, embrace your fear and start writing.

Five ways to embrace the fear of shitty writing

After writing and editing your first shitty draft, you might fear that your work is still not good enough. Here are five steps to help you improve and become a more confident writer and communicator:

1. The more you write, the less shitty your writing will be

So, write about anything that comes to your mind. The topic is not important at the beginning. What you are aiming for at this stage is just putting words on paper (or on the computer screen). Um, no, texting doesn’t count 😅.

2. Read the works of other writers

Eventually you will develop your own style.

3. Use grammar correction tools

Use tools like grammarly. Not only will it correct your grammar and save you time, but you will start noticing what kind of mistakes you make and you will eventually improve.

4. Ask others for feedback

You don’t have to only ask other writers. Remember that everyone is a reader and can potentially give you some valuable feedback.

5. A “mistake” can make your writing more attention-catching

Accept that sometimes what you consider a “mistake” can make your writing more attention-catching and unique. I know this because I was once praised for my “creativity,” while, in fact, I had just made a mistake.

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Are you intimidated to write in English because you think that it needs to be perfect right away?

Don’t forget to sign up for our Speaking club, where you will meet incredible people from all over the world who come to practice their speaking skills. A language is meant to be spoken. There is a reason why the other word for “language” is “tongue.” 😀

 

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