Crappy first draft writer’s block. Those two little words can derail just about any writing session. One of the major causes of writer’s block is perfectionism: trying to make everything perfect in the first draft. When you try to do both the writing and the editing, you’re running your creative brain and your logical brain at the same time. That can kill your productivity. Instead, use only your creative brain to write the “crappy” first draft. Pull up your outline notes and just write whatever pops into your head; ignore grammar, spelling, and formatting—just get the words on the paper first. “Write with the door closed,” as Stephen King says. In Anne Lamott’s popular book about writing, Bird by Bird , she suggests the first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out on the page. No one else has to see the first draft, […]