Deciding to write. Every writer starts somewhere. Maybe you’ve always had stories floating in your head, jotting them down since childhood, or perhaps a single experience sparked the need to write. Understanding why you write helps you stay committed.

Is it because you love storytelling? Do you have knowledge to share? Do you write to process emotions or fulfill a promise to someone dear? There’s no wrong reason. What matters is that you need to put words on the page. So, where do you start?

What you need to write. When I first started writing, I thought all I needed was pen and paper. Typing on a laptop seemed to dim my creativity. Then I looked for magic software that would turn me into a bestselling author overnight. Now, I understand different tools serve different stages of the writing process.

You don’t need expensive software or a fancy office for the first draft. If all you have is your notes app on your phone or a notebook and pen, that’s enough. The important thing is to start. The outline of my second manuscript consisted of notes from the app on my phone.

Finding your writing space. Your writing environment can affect your focus and creativity. While some writers thrive in coffee shops with background noise, others need complete silence. Finding a space that works for you is key to maintaining a consistent writing habit.

If you have a dedicated desk or home office, great! If not, create a portable writing kit with a laptop, notebook, and noise-canceling headphones that allows you to write anywhere. Some writers find inspiration in libraries, parks, or even a cozy corner of their home. Experiment to see where you feel most productive and comfortable. No offence to Starbucks, but I can’t.

Eliminate distractions as much as possible. A comfortable chair, good lighting, and a clutter-free surface can make a big difference in keeping you focused. Turn off notifications, let others know when you’re in writing mode, and set boundaries around your space. If my family sees my over-ear noise-canceling earphones, they know they are the same as a do not disturb sign.

Finding time to write. One of the biggest struggles for new writers is finding time. The good news? You don’t need hours of free time, you just need consistency. Even ten minutes a day adds up.

Toni Morrison wrote before her kids woke up, squeezing in writing whenever she could. I’m a night owl. I write when everyone is asleep. If weekdays are hectic, block out time on weekends for longer writing sessions. The trick is to fit writing into your existing schedule rather than waiting for large chunks of free time. Treat it like an appointment. Small moments, early mornings, lunch breaks, or late nights all count.

Getting your words down. Writing sprints changed everything for me. Instead of waiting for inspiration, I set a timer and wrote without stopping. The Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of focused writing followed by a quick break) is popular, but shorter bursts worked better. I set my timer for 15 minutes, sit in my designated writing space, and go for it. On average, I get 200–300 words. If I’m in the zone, I can hit 400.

Sidebar, I loved NaNoWriMo. It’s unfortunate that their place in the writing community has all but vanished. It was definitely a self-inflicted wound. NaNoWriMo helped me push past procrastination and self-doubt, giving me structure and encouragement to finish my first rough draft. Ok back to our regularly scheduled program.

Loud sounds shut me down like a fainting goat, so I use a timer that blinks instead of beeping. Finding what works for you is key. Whether it’s a specific time of day, a distraction-free device like the AlphaSmart Neo (a simple keyboard with an LCD screen), or a favorite writing software like Word, Scrivener, Google Docs. Pick one and write. Your goal is to eliminate distractions and focus.

Fast drafting your novel. Fast drafting means getting the story down without stopping to edit. It’s about momentum over perfection. This approach helped me finally finish my first draft.

Here’s what I’ve learned: your first draft isn’t supposed to be good. It’s just supposed to exist. You’re telling the story to yourself. If you can’t accept misspelled words, broken sentences, and plot holes as big as the Grand Canyon, who can?

No one writes a masterpiece on the first try. Every polished novel started as a tangled mess of half-formed ideas. The first draft is raw material, and raw material, no matter how unrefined, is valuable.

I used to be a strict plotter, outlining everything before writing. Outlining the story as I see and hear it in my head makes the road to a first draft easier. It took me years to understand this. Recently I’ve come out as a planster. A hybrid. I outline my story and develop my characters, but I leave room for discovery as I write.

Timed writing sprints help push through doubt. Many NaNoWriMo participants use them to reach 50,000 words a month. If you get stuck, remember forward progress matters more than perfect sentences.

Writing without fear. We live in a world that celebrates finished work, the stunning book covers, the perfectly phrased social media snippets, the polished final drafts. What we don’t see are the countless messy drafts, the abandoned ideas, the nights spent wrestling with self-doubt.

That’s why we need to rethink first drafts. Think of it as a painter laying down rough brushstrokes or a musician testing out chords. Creativity isn’t about getting it right the first time, it’s about experimenting, discovering, and refining.

I used to write a sentence, delete it, rewrite it, then delete it again. It felt like walking in circles. But once I let go of the fear of being a hack, I finally started making progress. It was messy. It was chaotic, like puberty. But it was real. And from that, I shaped a draft into the story that danced in my head.

Editing while drafting is like stopping every five steps to tie your shoes. You never build momentum. Instead, let your words tumble out, raw and unfiltered. That’s where the magic happens.

Next steps. If you take away one thing from this post, let it be: your first draft doesn’t define you as a writer. What you do with it does. So let go of perfection. Write that messy draft. Trust that you’ll improve it later. Trust your genius, and remember, even the worst first draft is better than no draft.

Now go forth and write badly, boldly, and unapologetically.