--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I love about drafts is the…" description: "\"What I love about drafts is the experimental nature of them. The draft is what you know about writing a poem running up against what you don't know abo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c31/cornelius-eady-48982_draft_what-i-love-about-drafts-is-the-experime_2548735.png" --- # What I love about drafts is the experimental nature of… ![“What I love about drafts is the experimental nature of them. The draft is what you know about writing a poem running up against what you don't know about the subject. If you're lucky, you get to surprise yourself.” quote by Cornelius Eady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c31/cornelius-eady-48982_draft_what-i-love-about-drafts-is-the-experime_2548735.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c31/cornelius-eady-48982_draft_what-i-love-about-drafts-is-the-experime_2548735.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c31/cornelius-eady-48982_draft_what-i-love-about-drafts-is-the-experime_2548735.png) > “What I love about drafts is the experimental nature of them. The draft is what you know about writing a poem running up against what you don't know about the subject. If you're lucky, you get to surprise yourself.” [Cornelius Eady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-eady/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Drafting reveals gaps between knowledge and mystery, allowing surprise and growth. **In simple terms:** Drafts expose unknowns and spark discovery. Key Takeaway Embrace drafts to discover new ideas. Themes creativity process uncertainty growth Mood reflective inspirational Type creative process When to use this quote - poetry workshops - writing retreats - personal journaling Key Concepts creative writing psychology of creativity drafting technique Questions to Reflect On - What unknowns do drafts reveal? - How can surprise shape your work? A Different Perspective Drafts may become endless revisions without closure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Draft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draft/) [Draft Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draft-know-1500663/) [Drafts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drafts/) [Drafts Experimental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drafts-experimental-1500661/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Love Drafts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-drafts-1500662/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [Lucky you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky-you/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Subjects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjects/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Any time you have defensive ends going above you in the draft, when you know you put up numbers that were equal to better,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tuck/any-time-you-have-defensive-ends-going-above-you-in-the-draft-when/) [Justin Tuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tuck/) > [I write by hand in my notebooks and number the drafts, so I know how crazy I can get with this. Some writers, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orner/i-write-by-hand-in-my-notebooks-and-number-the-drafts-so-i-know-how/) [Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orner/) > [The first draft you're pretty much on your own, so I love that. I can let my imagination go wild. I just go crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-woolverton/the-first-draft-you-re-pretty-much-on-your-own-so-i-love-that-i-can/) [Linda Woolverton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-woolverton/) > [I'll play for whoever drafts me. I'm just not going to be presumptuous about what they want to do. It's the draft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-burrow/i-ll-play-for-whoever-drafts-me-i-m-just-not-going-to-be-presumptuous/) [Joe Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-burrow/) > [This is all you have to do. Sit down once a day to the novel and start working without internal criticism, without debilitating expectations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mosley/this-is-all-you-have-to-do-sit-down-once-a-day-to-the-novel-and-start/) [Walter Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mosley/) > [I write an actual script rather quickly - a draft will take me two weeks - but I write a lot of drafts. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abi-morgan/i-write-an-actual-script-rather-quickly-a-draft-will-take-me-two/) [Abi Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abi-morgan/) > [ I was so mad at my agent. I had polished and polished and polished \[the play\], and he referred to it as a draft.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/i-was-so-mad-at-my-agent-i-had-polished-and-polished-and-polished-the/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [“The other six or seven drafts are going to be pure torture. So why not enjoy the first draft, in the hope that your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-other-six-or-seven-drafts-are-going-to-be-pure-torture-so-why-not/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [With my first book, I was hired to write a draft of the script. I was so young and less confident. They put me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/with-my-first-book-i-was-hired-to-write-a-draft-of-the-script-i-was/) [Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/) > [Sometimes as you work, you find that you are learning things about your own perceptions and motivations that are way below you consciousness. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-maisel/sometimes-as-you-work-you-find-that-you-are-learning-things-about/) [Jay Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-maisel/) > [...real loneliness is having no one to miss. Think yourself lucky you've known something worth missing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/real-loneliness-is-having-no-one-to-miss-think-yourself-lucky-you-ve/) [Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/) > [Becoming successful is a relentless pursuit. It's good that it's that way: When it does come, you learn to know how to appreciate it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-valli/becoming-successful-is-a-relentless-pursuit-it-s-good-that-it-s-that/) [Frankie Valli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-valli/) > [Corporations are totalitarian institutions. Board of directors at the top of managers give orders, everyone follows orders… At the very bottom of command, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/corporations-are-totalitarian-institutions-board-of-directors-at-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [When you had to do something, you had to do it. And eventually, if you were lucky, you did it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/when-you-had-to-do-something-you-had-to-do-it-and-eventually-if-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) ## More by Cornelius Eady > [It's sometimes hard to know who's choosing whom - the poem, the song, or the writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-eady/it-s-sometimes-hard-to-know-who-s-choosing-whom-the-poem-the-song-or/) [Cornelius Eady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-eady/) > [Writing a lyric is writing a lyric, whether it's sung or recited. Perhaps the question to ask should be, has playing in a band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-eady/writing-a-lyric-is-writing-a-lyric-whether-it-s-sung-or-recited/) [Cornelius Eady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-eady/) > [Race, and the discussion of it brings out the bad, the good and the crazy in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-eady/race-and-the-discussion-of-it-brings-out-the-bad-the-good-and-the/) [Cornelius Eady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-eady/) > [Cynicism is a form of obedience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-eady/cynicism-is-a-form-of-obedience/) [Cornelius Eady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-eady/) > [For me, the intent in a song is to sing it. I compose songs, meaning I'm writing words to be set to music; I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-eady/for-me-the-intent-in-a-song-is-to-sing-it-i-compose-songs-meaning-i-m/) [Cornelius Eady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-eady/) > [When I leap, I briefly see the world as it is and as it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-eady/when-i-leap-i-briefly-see-the-world-as-it-is-and-as-it-should-be/) [Cornelius Eady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-eady/) > [I've always felt that poetry is the enemy of silence, but of course, in the right moments, silence can be useful. The trick is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-eady/i-ve-always-felt-that-poetry-is-the-enemy-of-silence-but-of-course-in/) [Cornelius Eady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-eady/) [Explore all 8 Cornelius Eady quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-eady/) ## More Draft quotes > [A lot of young guys coming up in this league, they're given the spotlight right away, depending on draft stature or whatever the case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desean-jackson/a-lot-of-young-guys-coming-up-in-this-league-they-re-given-the/) [DeSean Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desean-jackson/) > [A draft doesn't produce the people we need to satisfy our real manpower shortage. We need specialists to keep our jets flying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/a-draft-doesn-t-produce-the-people-we-need-to-satisfy-our-real/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [The first draft is usually junk. You have to work on it seven to eight times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-subramanian/the-first-draft-is-usually-junk-you-have-to-work-on-it-seven-to-eight/) [Ravi Subramanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-subramanian/) > [That would just mean so much to be to be thought of as the best player in the draft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-bosa/that-would-just-mean-so-much-to-be-to-be-thought-of-as-the-best/) [Nick Bosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-bosa/) > [I read and write but my ideas don't go beyond the first draft. When they will, I will make it into a film probably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antara-mali/i-read-and-write-but-my-ideas-don-t-go-beyond-the-first-draft-when/) [Antara Mali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antara-mali/) > [I am a product of the draft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-inhofe/i-am-a-product-of-the-draft/) [James Inhofe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-inhofe/) > [I still wake up thinking about draft choices we should have made that would have impacted the franchise for a long time, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-epstein/i-still-wake-up-thinking-about-draft-choices-we-should-have-made-that/) [Theo Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-epstein/) > [The first draft of 'Ex Machina' is extremely different than the finished film. That would be like 10% of the original draft stayed into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-garland/the-first-draft-of-ex-machina-is-extremely-different-than-the/) [Alex Garland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-garland/) > [At the combine and at my workouts, I tried to be the perfect player. I tried to promote my strengths and conceal my weaknesses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/at-the-combine-and-at-my-workouts-i-tried-to-be-the-perfect-player-i/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) > [There are some writers who are done when they finish a draft because they've thought it through beforehand. Whereas I'll finish a first draft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-julavits/there-are-some-writers-who-are-done-when-they-finish-a-draft-because/) [Heidi Julavits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-julavits/) > [With my first book, I was hired to write a draft of the script. I was so young and less confident. They put me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/with-my-first-book-i-was-hired-to-write-a-draft-of-the-script-i-was/) [Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/) > [From watching the draft and following the NFL closely, anything can happen in the draft. But to me, it's not where I get drafted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/from-watching-the-draft-and-following-the-nfl-closely-anything-can/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [We just have fun with our NFL Draft coverage because we understand that it's a long process, and there can be technical glitches that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-eisen/we-just-have-fun-with-our-nfl-draft-coverage-because-we-understand/) [Rich Eisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-eisen/) > [“The first draft is always shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-first-draft-is-always-shit/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do is exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/every-first-draft-is-perfect-because-all-a-first-draft-has-to-do-is/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) [Browse all 544 Draft quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draft/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What I love about drafts is the experimental nature of them. 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