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On my 31st birthday I decided that I know little to nothing about life and should seek the advice of older and wiser adults. The plan was to have a difference mentor recommend one book each month of my 31st year. So far it has been one month, and I am proud to say that the plan is still in effect. I was recommended Bird by Bird by the incredible Cindy Chupack, and I read from first Kindle swipe to last.

For those unfamiliar, Bird by Bird is a book by Anne Lamott about the writer’s process. It is as charming and delightful to read as it is informative, and I’d recommend it to anyone (and have all month long).

Below is what I learned and below that is the book that’s on deck next. So far this is going better than every single New Year’s Resolution I’ve ever made and the five day juice cleanse that I ended after three days! I think I’m onto something.

If you can’t write a shitty first draft then you can’t be a writer. That is a fact I’m willing to stand behind. Anne Lamott isn’t quite so mean about it in her book, but the sentiment is the same. She says, “People tend to look at successful writers….and think that they sit down at their desks every morning feeling like a million dollars…and that they take in a few deep breaths, push back their sleeves, roll their necks a few times to get all the cricks out, and dive in, typing full formed passages as fast as a court reporter.”

I have been writing for most of my life, almost ten years professionally, and that is the first time that fact occurred to me, ever. I just assumed there were far better writers who didn’t suffer any of what I do when I sit down. It is incredibly powerful to know that the goal is not perfection because perfection does not exist, for anyone.

“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts.” Anne explains, “You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something – anything – down on paper. A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft – you just get it down. The second draft is the up draft – you fix it up.” 

But why can’t you be a writer unless you’re willing to write a shitty first draft? Because if you are so tied to the words flowing beautifully from your genius brain every time you approach that miserable blinking cursor, you will fail. Maybe it works if you’re Steven King or J.K. Rowling but you’re not because they are so just let go of that idea. So if you think that your inability to write a great first draft means you’re not a great writer, you are correct. It’s not about the quality of the work, it’s about the fact that you can’t bring yourself to do it unless it is perfection. Greatest isn’t just measured by the product. In this case, it’s equally if not more tied to the process.

I suffer from this in a big way. I figure that if I can’t do it right the first time then I must not have “it.” I have thought that a thousand times and said it out loud a few too. But I’m starting to learn that it’s that attitude not what flows out of my head that puts me at greatest risk of not accomplishing all that I want to accomplish.

So ALL HAIL the shitty first draft. This week alone it lead me to finishing a new TV sample, submitting a book proposal and writing this blog post. Tomorrow who knows what really, really terrible writing I’ll turn into something great! All I know is that it won’t be the stuff stuck in my head because I’m too stubborn to let it out unless it’s gold. 

Next book on deck: Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles recommended to me by reader and accomplished businessman/writer/guitar player Bill Townsend. Back in October with another review!

If you or someone you know wants to recommend a 31st Year of Life Curriculum book, email me! [email protected]