April 3, 2024
Hey, folks!
Writing first drafts can be stressful, whether for poetry or another form like novels, plays, picture books, memoirs, etc.
And writing a poem a day, or anything at any fast speed (like during NaPoWriMo or NaNoWriMo, or simply on a tight deadline), can add to that stress.
So here are some things worth keeping in mind:
❤️ It’s not going to be perfect, and that’s ok. First drafts are called rough drafts for a reason!
❤️ Once you have something on the page, you can rework it as much as you need to later. But if you don’t write anything down, there’ll be nothing to improve on.
❤️ Words are tricky. The right ones may elude you at first. Do your best, and come back to find the perfect ones later if needed.
❤️ Punctuation is weird AF – especially when it comes to poetry. Don’t sweat it! Write how you see fit, and it can be corrected later.
❤️ Every writer has a first draft. Don’t compare yourself to their final product – even bestsellers have wonky, clunky, messy rough drafts. (The paperbacks of the Caraval trilogy by Stephanie Garber have great bonus material showing just that – deleted scenes, unedited/unfinalized content, first attempts… It’s honestly a bit of a relief reading that kind of content for myself, too!)
❤️ You have people cheering you on. People who understand what writing entails get what you’re dealing with – we want to see you succeed, but we also know that that means slogging through the messy stuff first! You’ve got support for that messy stage, just as you will for the clean ones. And the people who don’t understand what it entails? The ones who love you will be just as supportive and loud and excited. Lean on your personal and social cheerleaders; let them remind you why you’re doing this in the first place.
Keep going!