How to write your first drafts | Steven Pressfield | How I Write Podcast

Momentum

Steven Pressfield emphasizes the importance of momentum over perfection when drafting. He uses the metaphor of "covering the canvas" to describe the process of getting words down without worrying about their quality. This approach encourages writers to keep moving forward, likening it to a blitzkrieg strategy where overcoming obstacles is key to progress.

My job on a first draft is just to get paint on every part of that canvas. It doesn't matter how bad it is. Movement forward is everything in a first draft.

--- Steven Pressfield

By focusing on forward movement, writers can avoid getting bogged down by the need for perfection, which can hinder creativity and productivity 1.

   

Obstacles

In writing, obstacles are inevitable, but Steven Pressfield advises writers to navigate around them rather than getting stuck. He compares this to warfare, where getting into a slugging match is detrimental. Instead, writers should maintain momentum, even if it means leaving some areas "exposed" or imperfect.

If you let some obstacle stop you so that you're getting into a slugging match or a war of attrition, that's the worst thing that can happen in warfare. And it's the worst thing in writing too.

--- Steven Pressfield

This mindset helps writers to continue their creative journey without being paralyzed by challenges, ensuring that the draft progresses 1.