First Write, Fast

By: Kayleigh Kearsley

Lacking a creative writing background, I have often steered away from creative writing, especially since it was never prioritized or even available in the small high school I attended. Perhaps you have felt the same way, or perhaps you are one of those brilliant authors who genuinely loves to write in their freetime.

Because I do not yet list writing when asked about my favorite hobbies or daily habits, this semester I felt an urge to push myself to explore this style of writing, to take courses and learn how to enjoy creative writing the way I enjoy writing informational or argumentative essays. Albeit slightly terrifying, this experience has forced me to write, to spend time and energy writing as I apply the strategies I read from other writers’ works.

Recently, I found myself frustrated, reviewing the paragraph and a half of text that I had just written and absolutely despised. Words just weren’t flowing, and everything just seemed trite. I forced myself to finish writing the scene, trying to think of impactful sensory details to paint a picture and portray a deeper meaning, yet my words did not match my level of expectation. This served to further (negatively) impact the quality of my creative writing piece.

Recognizing this difficulty, I confided in a mentor and asked for his advice on how to write creatively, as I was struggling to complete my creative writing assignments. His recommendation to me was to write as fast as I can, to just get that initial draft out on the page, even if it was messy and very rough. After the initial draft was written, I could return and revise my writing, incorporating more significant details and intentional craft moves after I had a general idea of where my writing was headed.

In that moment, I had a mini epiphany as I made a vital connection in my mind. When I draft essays, I follow this advice. I get a messy rough draft down, or at least a few rough paragraphs, then go back and edit, revise, rearrange, etc. Understanding that the first draft is not–and is not expected to be–perfect makes this writing process flow much more fluidly and naturally. Then I revise, refine, and repeat until a polished final product is created. By the end, I have an essay that I’m proud of.

As I mentally formed this connection, I realized that I needed to approach creative writing in a similar way. Rather than attempting to create flawless masterpieces from the very first draft, it’s vital to just write, to get those reps in, as several of my professors and mentors have explained. The more I write, not caring about drafting a perfect paragraph but rather focusing on fluency and a complete (albeit imperfect) draft, the easier it becomes for me to write. Then, as I revisit that writing, I have the opportunity to model it into something better.

Though I still struggle to exercise my amateur creative writing skills, as I apply this advice to start by writing, then return and revise, my writing experience has greatly improved. No longer suffocating beneath unrealistically high expectations, I am able to write fluidly, then revise my work, adding a sensory detail here, a metaphor there, integrating subtle foreshadowing throughout, etc. Little by little, the writing seems to come together, falling in line until, eventually, I have written something that I am actually proud of.

So, dear reader, first write. Write as fast as you can, just let the writing flow right out of you, rough and messy. Then return to what you have created to revise and polish a masterpiece that you can take pride in.