I needed something to spice up my writing life this year: encouragement, motivation, camaraderie. So I joined⁣ a group called hopewriters.⁣

I’m a few days late for the instagram challenge, but today’s word is “draft.”⁣

Why should you push to the next draft?

A draft is a starting point. It’s easy to see the very first draft that way. But how many drafts do you create before you get discouraged?

Sometimes the fiftieth draft is also a starting point.

Here’s how things go down: ⁣The more you write the more you realize your drafts are lacking. Which creates more pressure to withhold until something is better. Then you’re afraid of putting yourself out there again. Repeat. ⁣

As a new college graduate, I became interested in magazine writing. My mom and I took an online class that culminated in sending several pitches to mags in our respective areas of interest. ⁣

Out of ten snail mail submissions, I received only one piece of feedback: my actual query covered in red-ink by the publication’s editor. ⁣

My emotions were mixed. Part of me was so thrilled to receive any interest at all that I kept the letter. Another part was so discouraged by the opaqueness of the process, and my low response rate, that I never followed back up with a revision. Crazy, right? ⁣

I was so discouraged I quit after the first draft!

That could have been the start of something beautiful, instead of waiting eight more years to start the process all over again.⁣

I’d like to think I’ve come a long way since. Querying is no big deal, I’ve published plenty, and at the very least. I understand that the first (and often hundredth) draft of anything is crap. ⁣

But I’m still in danger of limiting myself by thinking my draft is so awful it can’t be salvaged. Or taking feedback too seriously and quitting. Or worrying about the people who don’t like a piece of writing versus celebrating the ones who got some value.⁣

So here’s to the drafts and taking version one to it’s logical conclusion whether it be v3 or v252. ⁣

How does the word draft make you feel?⁣ Leave me a note in the comments!

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