It happens to every writer: sloppy, rambling, unintelligible, boring writing that is going anywhere but where you want. It’s the frog-kissing phenomenon of creative writing and it happens to the best of us, even to seasoned pros. If you write at all, know that you’re going to produce some stuff that’s way to the left of good, lopsided and croaking on some withering lily pad.
First-draft writing doesn’t have to be good, it won’t always be good, and even when it is good, among the good will be some not-so-good. For many writers, understanding and accepting this has a powerfully freeing effect. Writing teacher and author Natalie Goldberg says, “You’re free to write the worst junk in America.” Anne Lamott also has a name for that rough stuff we all write. She calls it “shitty first drafts.” It’s the swampy, mucky stuff that holds little promise for happily-ever-after, and almost every writer experiences a day when muck is what gets written.
At any given writing session you may write something you like, or your writing may embarrass you in its awful triteness. Sometimes you won’t be able to put a coherent sentence together and other times your writing will be fresh, creative, even elegant. The point is, just show up at the page no matter what.
Remember, this is just practice. You write what you write. Besides, who can say from the marshy edge of any pond which frog gets transformed and which kiss holds magic.
*Excerpted from A Writer’s Book of Days
Thank you Judy for reminding us that we will not write perfectly every time and that it is okay to write crap sometimes if that is what is needed in that moment. As long as the pen touches the paper its a good day.
You just never know when that frog is going to turn into a prince!
and don’t you love the surprises, Lyn. Thanks for your confirmation that “pen to paper” is what matters.
Judy,
Thank you for this frank discussion regarding writing. Even though I have only met one or two of you in person, I read your e-mail and other peoples’ comments eagerly.
Arlene
Hello Arlene, Thanks for your comment, and always, for stopping by to read the blog. I appreciate your presence.
Thanks for the reminder, Judy. It’s a comfort…
ribbit. ribbit. xoxoJudy
In my lifetime I’ve sure kissed a lot of frogs. Some that even turned to princes on the page!
Yes, Jill, I have been witness to your frog kissing, and applauded your princes. And may I say, any frog lucky enough to receive your kisses is one lucky amphibian.
Wow! Were you talking to me? Such a great article full of encouragement. Thanks so much! Love the header – is it new?
Hi Marilyn, Talking to myself, I think. About the headers: they rotate in and out. A half-dozen or so images with my Underwood at various locations around town. Steve Montgomery and I lugged that thing all over the place (34+pounds), setting it up, dusting it off, taking photos. Then my genius webmasters–Indy & Q Quillen made the whole thing work.
Thanks for this reminder, Judy.
Thanks for stopping by, Steve! My favorite writing practice partner. xxox
“ Your writing must be regular, because you
need to foster stability. Stability is a vow.
It means there is no vow higher than the one
that you’ve made to yourself to write and
witness your writing.”
GAIL SHER
You and I are such fans of Gail Sher, her wisdom, her kindnesses.
Good post Judy. Rather like life in general, you ‘do your best’ without really knowing the full outcome/s and this is good enough. Then with more practice you get it better.
Stay safe…..
ain’t it the truth, Michael. Thanks for reminding me.
Without the freedom to just write, write junk, write trite, I might not write at all. It’s freeing to just let the hand and pen move across the page without pressure to produce something good. I love writing from prompts, well certain prompts. Some prompts produce writer’s block. More often than not, I do write the boring junk. But, every once in a great while, I’m surprised and pleased. That’s when writing practice is magic.
Thank you for this thought provoking post Judy! Thank you for inspiration.
Mary Ann
Thank you for writing with us, Mary Ann, and for stopping by here to talk about writing practice. I know that about some prompts…I don’t know if it’s the prompt itself that causes the block, or I’m just resistant to going around, over, under, through, but I sure do know sometimes I just can’t get the pen moving. Always a relief to let ‘er rip.
Hi Judy,
And you also have to figure out that a first draft is not a publish-ready novel even if you did go back and forth 18,000 times per chapter.
Cheers from Linda
yeah, Linda. First draft, v. 176.