The First Draft: Pure Green Dreck
June 21, 2006 by Lillie
Several years ago, I took an online novel writing course from Lary Crews. One of the things that has really stuck with me is Lary’s description of the first draft: pure green dreck.
So often writers – whether employees writing reports for work, novelists, or citizens writing to politicians or newspapers – want to sit down and write a masterpiece in one sitting. However, that usually doesn’t happen.
The purpose of the first draft is to get your ideas down on paper (or screen). The composer, musician, and author Virgil Thompson said, “Let your mind alone, and see what happens.” Don’t worry about sentence structure, organization, grammar – or even if you really want to use that idea. Just let the ideas flow.
You’ll probably end up with something that is ”pure green dreck,” but you can take that dreck and turn it into a masterpiece … or at least a coherent report or letter.
Lillie.
This is most interesting and very thought provoking. Maybe I’ll get inspiried to write about Bill and my experiences.
Thanks,
Martha
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I could see myself in this write up. I have this habit of always writing the perfect piece at the word go. I edit and proofread while writing the first draft itself. I should try following this method instead.
Jack,
If you are able to edit as you go and finish a piece, I wouldn’t ever tell you to change. Most writers can’t do that. I’ve seen many writers who never get past the first chapter of their novel because they keep polishing it over and over again. If you find yourself polishing and not moving forward, then this post is good advice for you. If you can polish what you’ve written and continue on to finish the piece, maybe you don’t need to change.
Very good writing advice. I often get caught up in the details of the grammar and structure before I ever have a nice piece to work on.
Every writer should spend more time freewriting I think. Thanks for the reminder and the new phrase.
Jason,
Yes, freewriting is good. And I, too, love the phrase “pure green dreck.”
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