The First Draft Lie

You call it a “first draft” for a reason.

It’s the raw footage, not the edited version. It’s the napkin, not the document. It’s some tiles laid out on floor in front of you, not the cut and glued pattern on the wall. 

You don’t have to make your first draft the final plan. It’s a starting point. A vehicle to get your thoughts down. A catalyst to help you think about it and see where it might go. 

Write the garbage version. Say it badly. Build the barely-functional prototype. 

The first draft allows you to play. You can rethink it. You can change directions. You can change your mind. 

You don’t have to show the public.

But you gotta start laying bricks.