Chapter 6: Writing Your First Draft – Permission to Write Badly

The Complete Short Story Writing Textbook for Beginners

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The Complete Short Story Writing Textbook for Beginners

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Hey writers,

You’ve got:

• Theme [Week 2]

• Scene [Week 3]

• Character bible [Week 4]

• Structure [Week 5]

Now the terrifying part: actually writing the story.

Most writers freeze here. They rewrite the first sentence 50 times. They judge every word. They never finish.

This week: how to write a complete first draft without self-destructing. The key? Permission to write badly.

The Only Goal of Draft One

The first draft has one job:

Get the story out of your head and onto the page.

Not:

• “Write beautifully.”

• “Get every word right.”

• “Impress anyone.”

Just: make it exist.

You can’t revise a blank page.​

Permission to Write Badly

Give yourself explicit permission to:

• Use clichés you’ll cut later

• Write clunky dialogue

• Over-explain motivations

• Repeat yourself

Tell yourself:

“No one will see this version. I’m just telling the story to myself.”

This will free you.

How to Protect Your Drafting Time

• Set a time or word-count goal for each session

  • “30 minutes” or “800 words”

• Turn off notifications

• Close unnecessary tabs

• Don’t reread your previous paragraphs endlessly

If you must, briefly scan the last few lines to remember where you were, then continue.

Don’t Edit While Writing

Editing activates a different part of your brain - the critical voice.

During drafting, that voice is the enemy.

If you find yourself:

• Rewriting the same sentence 10 times

• Polishing the first page for hours

Stop and push forward instead.

Your mantra: “I’ll fix it later.”​

Using Your Character Bible While Drafting

Because you’ve already thought deeply about your characters:

• You don’t need to stop and invent their reactions mid-scene.

• You already know what they tend to do under pressure.

If you’re unsure, glance at your notes, then write what feels true.

Trust your preparation.​

Writing Dialogue in Drafts

Draft dialogue with energy, not perfection.

Good ways to draft:

• Let characters talk too much at first. You’ll cut.

• Write the subtext directly for yourself, then translate it into real speech.

Example:

Draft (too on-the-nose):

“I feel abandoned because you never answer my texts. It reminds me of my father.”

Later, you might turn it into:

“You vanish for days and then act surprised I’m upset.”

Readers infer the rest.

Exercise: Timed First Draft Sprint

1. Set a timer for 20–30 minutes.

2. Start your story in the middle of the action or tension.

3. Write without stopping until the timer goes off.

4. Do not edit. If stuck, write “[something happens here]” and move on.

Afterwards, do not judge it yet. The only measure of success is: Did you write?​

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This Chapter’s Action Step

Right now: 25-minute sprint.

1. Open a blank document.

2. Use your Week 5 skeleton outline.

3. Start in the middle of your first scene (per structural advice).

4. Write for 25 minutes straight. No stopping.

5. When done, close the file. Don’t read it.

Tomorrow, do another 25 minutes. Aim for a complete first draft by end of week.

Share in comments: How many words did you get? (No judgment - just celebrate forward motion!)

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What’s Next?

Next chapter: The waiting period - why you must let your draft sit (and what to do instead). This is where most writers sabotage themselves by editing too soon.

Drafting struggles? Vent in the comments.

See you next time!

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P.S. First drafts are supposed to suck. Every published author has a drawer full of terrible first drafts. Yours is just the price of entry.

❤️If you’re giving yourself permission to write badly, forward this to a procrastinating writer.

Eventually, you could buy me a coffee to help me concentrate better when writing the next chapters.

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you find this helpful!