“The first draft of anything is shit”

Ernest Hemingway said that. He is one of the greatest writers that has ever lived. I am not one of the greatest writers that is even living at this moment. In Belfast. Probably even in my own home. Yet this fills me with confidence, because most of what I write first time is indeed shit. You know what they say, if it looks like shit and smells like shit…it’s probably your first draft.

But I’m in good company apparently.

Often when we start anything creative we compare what we have at the start with what we imagine or hope we have at the end. And it never holds up. It can’t. It hasn’t had time to brew or soak. It needs to just come out unedited and you can worry about moulding it later.

You don’t have to have the finished project on the first go so take the pressure off yourself knowing that you can’t. It’s probably better to listen to Hemingway than yourself on this.

Also, if you thought this post was shit that’s okay because it was my first draft.

See?!

He was right.