Reflections on Writing - Don’t Fear Change

From the time you write the first word to the time your book is submitted to be published; your creation is going to change. There is always a first draft, and that first draft never makes it to publication. That is why it is a first draft. It is an exercise to get the thoughts and the bulk down on paper.

Write fast, write furious. Don’t worry so much about punctuation. Sometimes when I am in the groove and using the laptop or computer, I’ll have pages filled with the red squiggles of autocorrect plastered throughout. Or if writing on paper, my handwriting continues to get worse until sometimes it is barely legible! After the first draft, or apply named rough draft is down, you can go back to fix mistakes. Sometimes you will change whole sentences. A lot of times you find yourself adding, both for clarification and depth.

This is particularly important when it is part of the book where the thoughts and writing are not freely flowing and you are finding yourself pushing through. Push through and get it down. This serves as the framework that you will use to fill out and adjust after other key elements have arrived in your story.

Writing is fluid. It evolves and finds a direction as it is developed. There is always an A to B. That is what the outline is for. However, there is a myriad of ways and paths to travel in order to get there. When you read through your wiring, if you find something you don’t like, or discover a plot hole, change it. Don’t be afraid to change an entire section or narrative.

It is your creation, and it lives and breathes. It and out. But you can’t change it if you don’t write it. So, write it. And then write some more.