Perfectionism is the Enemy of Writing: Publish Your Work Anyway
As a writer, starting the first draft is always a hard task. The blank page can be intimidating, but trusting yourself and beginning the writing process is the first step to producing exceptional work. Don’t let perfectionism and overthinking hold you back. Trust yourself and embrace the journey. Let’s discuss 2 important writing tips that every writer should know about.
1. Your first draft is always bad:
First draft is the first version of a piece of writing.
- Any first draft is usually bad and unpolished, but that's fine! It's important to get your ideas down in front of you so that you can write better and edit them as you like.
- If you’re a new writer or a professional writer or writing is your hobby. It’s important to write that first draft even if it’s going to be terrible but take that first step.
- It's not meant to be perfect. It's just a way to get your thoughts and ideas in front of you. You can worry about making it perfect later.
- Once you have a first draft, you can start revising and editing it. This is where you will make changes to the content itself, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- The first draft is just one step in the writing process. But it's a very important step.
Just start writing anything and remember that you can always make changes to it later.
- There are several ways to write a first draft. Some writers prefer to start writing and see where it takes them without planning any details, others like to outline their work before they start writing.
I prefer to plan what topic I'll write about and think about the main points and then start writing.
What’s your technique when you write any article? Let me know in the comments.
- The most important thing is to just get started.
- Once you've finished writing and pouring your thoughts and ideas into your draft, it's time to start editing and proofreading your work.
- This is the stage where you can fix any grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. You're also free to add, remove, or change any paragraph of your content.
Writing a first draft can be a daunting task, but it’s an important step in the writing process. By following these tips, you can make the process a little bit easier.
Here are some tips for writing your first draft:
1- Find a quiet place.
where you can focus and write for as long as you can without interruptions. This place could be your desk, library or any quiet place you like.
2- When you’re in a quiet place, make sure that you have all of your materials.
such as your phone, laptop, notebook, pens, and something to eat and drink. Anything you’ll need so you don’t need to interrupt your work.
3- Start by brainstorming your ideas.
Once you have any ideas, write them down. And once you think of a good idea of what you want to write about, start drafting your work. Don’t think twice and start writing.
Don't worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation at this stage. Just focus on writing.
4- After finishing your draft. Start editing it.
This is the stage where you will fix any errors you have or add more sentences and visuals.
5- Once you’re satisfied with your work, and corrected your mistakes. You can now start revising your work.
Read your work as if it’s someone else’s. If you find any error or a missing sentence, make it right.
2. Just post your work:
As a writer, sometimes you feel hesitant to post your work. It's a common feeling that almost every writer experienced before.
- This is a common feeling that can be caused by several reasons whether it's your first post ever or you're not satisfied with your content or you're hesitant because you received negative feedback on your latest post.
So it's mainly caused by fear of criticism, fear of not being enough, or fear of rejection.
- However, it’s important to remember that posting is an essential part of the writing process. It allows you to get feedback on your work, and it allows you to grow as a writer.
- When I decided to post on Medium, I had no expectations. I didn’t know what I’ll receive so I posted anyways. I posted for myself and I believed that people will see my work, will provide feedback, and maybe will love it.
So I posted my first article. Only one person clapped and I received 6 views. I was so happy and excited to post more content. And I did. I posted a total of 46 articles until this day and I love how people on Medium are very supportive and genuinely read and support my work.
So my advice for you is post anyways. You never know what you'll receive or learn from this journey.
- You should publish your work even if you are not sure if it is perfect. This can be a difficult thing to do, but it is important to remember that no piece of writing is completely perfect.
- Publishing your work, even if it’s not perfect, is what makes the writing process authentic and genuine. It’s your unique perspective and voice.
There’s always a place for improvement, so it’s better to publish your work anyways, even if it’s not perfect, than to wait for it to be perfect.
- Posting anyways can improve your writing skills. When you publish your work on any platform, you’ll receive feedback. This feedback can identify areas where your writing can be improved and It’s also great motivation to keep your writing.
- When you publish your work online, you're building your audience. You're giving people a chance to read your work, follow you and support you.
This can help you connect with other writers and readers and it can also help you get your work noticed by more people.
- Publishing online is a great opportunity as a freelancer. It can act as your portfolio so people can see your work and that you’re an experienced writer and they’ll hire you.
- Sharing your work with the world can be a rewarding experience. It can also be a great way to connect with other people who share the same interests as you and get to know great and talented writers from all over the world which can also help you understand more about your target audience and write better content.
Finally, I encourage you to write that first draft, edit it and post your content anyways. Don't wait for your work to be perfect.
- People will love it and will appreciate that you worked hard to publish high-quality content for them. People are a lot nice and more supportive than you think they are.
- Engage with people and get to know your followers and other writers better. Not only for claps or comments or views but to know more about other people and support each other.
- Don’t give up. Writing is a journey. So keep writing, keep learning, keep engaging, keep publishing, and enjoy the whole writing process. You might be surprised at how much you enjoy it.
- Your writing will never be perfect, but that’s what makes it interesting. Believe in yourself, your ideas, and your abilities. Give it a try, and you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve.
What was your experience like when you published your first story? And What advice would you give to other writers who are afraid to post their first article online? Let me know in the comments.
