Advice Quote by Dominick Dunne
“The best advice on writing was given to me by my first editor, Michael Korda, of Simon and Schuster, while writing my first book. 'Finish your first draft and then we'll talk,' he said. It took me a long time to realize how good the advice was. Even if you write it wrong, write and finish your first draft. Only then, when you have a flawed whole, do you know what you have to fix.”
About This Quote
Source Memoir: My Life in Publishing, 2005
Finishing a flawed first draft reveals its problems, enabling effective revisions.
In simple terms: Finish drafts, then improve.
Key Takeaway
Complete before editing.
Themes
writing process
drafting
revision
Mood
practical
encouraging
Type
advice
writing
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- article drafting
- self-editing
- editor collaboration
Key Concepts
iterative improvement
creative workflow
Questions to Reflect On
- Why is finishing important before perfection?
- How does a flawed draft guide revisions?
A Different Perspective
Perfectionism can delay completion.
