You Don't Need Perfect First Drafts To Start Writing Online

Build an audience with "imperfect content"

I used to throw away 80% of my first drafts.

The reason? I wanted each piece to be perfect.

As a result, I barely published anything.

And when I did, I was exhausted. Almost disgusted by how painful the writing process turned out to be.

But here's the thing: If you wait for each piece to be perfect, you'll never publish anything. And that perfectionism is preventing you from reaching a wider audience.

All you need is being okay writing crappy first drafts.

Your dream of going viral is stupid

Too many creators are obsessed with the idea of going viral.

So you write a sentence, then immediately try to improve it. You craft a paragraph, then spend 20 minutes rewriting it. You're editing while creating, and it's killing your momentum.

Can't go viral that way, right?

And your obsession with (what you think is) quality is why you're stuck. So instead of expecting vitality, expect 0. When you do, perfection disappears.

Write for yourself, first. Everything else is a bonus.

Your first draft is supposed to be crappy

There are 3 parts to the writing process:

• Brainstorming

• Drafting

• Editing

When you brainstorm and when you draft you're allowed to put crap on paper.

Not mediocre. Not "pretty good but needs some fixes." Complete, utter garbage.

The day I accepted this was the day I started to become prolific.

I stopped setting unrealistic expectations for myself. I stopped comparing my messy drafts to other people's published work. I stopped waiting for the perfect idea or the perfect moment to write.

When you're coming up with your first draft, what you're really doing is just vomiting words onto the page. The goal is just to get something—anything—down.

Nobody else will ever see that first draft.
Not your parents.
Not your audience.
Not even your dog.

Only you.

So why are you judging yourself so harshly?

Writing is about messy progress

I have back pain.

I can't sit at my desk for more than 2 hours at a time. So I had to tweak my business accordingly.

Most of my writing happens in two configurations:

• daily walks (by dictating)

• or when sitting on a recliner for 2 hours in the morning.

This constraint forced me to realize that writing isn't about nailing it in one go. It's about making messy progress.

Every successful writer I know has a disorganized, chaotic process they're slightly embarrassed about. They scribble ideas on napkins. They dictate random thoughts into their phone while driving. They write drunk and edit sober (NOT recommended, but Hemingway seemed to like it).

Nobody creates perfect content in one sitting.

If you're waiting to start until you can produce perfect work, you'll be waiting forever. You're setting yourself up for failure before you even begin.

The best way to write your first drafts

One thing that I noticed about content creators is that we spend more time trying to decide what we need to do rather than actually doing it.

In April 2025, I challenged myself to write a daily article without having to question my strategy every day.

The first thing that I do in the morning is to sit down and… Write.

That's it. No fancy technique. No expensive software. Just a commitment to write.

This daily habit demolishes the resistance that builds up when you don't write regularly. It's like brushing your teeth—you don't question whether you're in the mood to do it.

You just do it.

Most people overcomplicate this. They think they need the perfect morning routine with meditation, journaling, and a green smoothie before they can write.

Now, write them faster

I used to think AI writing was for lazy shortcuts. But it's become a core part of my writing process.

Here's how I use it:

1. I create a detailed outline first (the brainstorming part I mentioned earlier)

2. I feed the AI one section at a time with instructions about my style (and that's the first draft.)

3. I make sure to add my personal stories and unique angles

4. I heavily edit the content – cutting anything that doesn't sound like me or is factually wrong.

The beauty of this approach is that you still do the thinking, but you don't have to do all the heavy lifting of turning that thinking into a first draft.

Sitting down to type can feel like dragging dead weight with your arms. But AI can help you crank out first drafts fast.

AI can't write about your perspectives or life experiences. You need to prompt it with personal details, or it will just spit out generic crap.

All you need is a library of first drafts

I love learning and taking notes at the same time.

Taking notes while consuming content is the backbone of my content creation system.

When I read a book or listen to a podcast, I don't just passively consume. I rewrite the concepts in my own words.

Guess what that is? That's a first draft in itself.

Yes, it slows down the consumption a bit. Because you need to stop the video. You need to highlight. You need to start thinking.

But what's the purpose of consumption if you are not doing anything with it?

Most writers make the mistake of trying to separate learning and creating. But why not combine them? Because every note you take out of this process is already a first draft.

This way, when you sit down to write, you're never starting from scratch. You're simply expanding on thoughts you've already captured.

I write daily content. And the truth is, some days I have no inspiration (like today.)

So I open my notes and find:

• Quotes I've collected

• Half-baked ideas I can expand

• Questions I've been pondering

• Observations about my industry

This approach has another benefit: it removes the pressure of needing to be "inspired" to write. Writer's block is often just the fear of starting from nothing. When you have a library of notes, you're never starting from zero.

The best creators aren't necessarily the most talented—they're the ones who build systems that make creation inevitable.

Stop making excuses

Your first draft isn't supposed to impress anyone.

So, stop treating it like a performance and start treating it like a brain dump.

99% of people who dream about being content creators will never make a dime because they're too afraid to publish imperfect work.

So decide right now: are you going to be the perfectionist nobody's ever heard of, or the prolific creator who's actually making an impact?