--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best advice on writing was given to…" description: "\"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 dr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/dominick-dunne-28063_advice_the-best-advice-on-writing-was-given-to_1431443.jpg" --- # The best advice on writing was given to me by my first… ![“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…” quote by Dominick Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/dominick-dunne-28063_advice_the-best-advice-on-writing-was-given-to_1431443.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/dominick-dunne-28063_advice_the-best-advice-on-writing-was-given-to_1431443.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/dominick-dunne-28063_advice_the-best-advice-on-writing-was-given-to_1431443.jpg) > “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.” [Dominick Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominick-dunne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Advice Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice-write-524760/) [Advice Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice-writing-1715924/) [Best advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-advice/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Do you know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/do-you-know/) [Editing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editing/) [Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editors/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Flawed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flawed/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The best advice I have is keep writing, keep practicing, keep winning, losing and understanding the difference. Never stop learning, never stop pushing yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/the-best-advice-i-have-is-keep-writing-keep-practicing-keep-winning/) [Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/) > [The best advice on writing I've ever received was from William Zinsser: 'Be grateful for every word you can cut.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-buckley/the-best-advice-on-writing-i-ve-ever-received-was-from-william/) [Christopher Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-buckley/) > [The best advice on writing I've ever received is to take it seriously, because to do it well is all-consuming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/the-best-advice-on-writing-i-ve-ever-received-is-to-take-it-seriously/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [“The best advice is not to write what you know, it’s to write what you like. 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Unless you do your writing in a public restroom, and in that case, I’d recommend wearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-advice-is-to-write-in-the-nude-unless-you-do-your-writing-in-a/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) ## More by Dominick Dunne > [I loved going along with Alice Steinbach as she goes off on this rare, wonderful adventure, an escape into discovering herself and some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominick-dunne/i-loved-going-along-with-alice-steinbach-as-she-goes-off-on-this-rare/) [Dominick Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominick-dunne/) > [I made no pretense of doing balanced reporting about murder. 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What I witnessed in that courtroom enraged and redirected me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominick-dunne/i-had-never-attended-a-trial-until-my-daughter-s-murder-trial-what-i/) [Dominick Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominick-dunne/) > [When you're down and out, there's no meaner place to live than Hollywood. You can get away with your embezzlements and your lies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominick-dunne/when-you-re-down-and-out-there-s-no-meaner-place-to-live-than/) [Dominick Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominick-dunne/) > [I am openly pro-prosecution and make no bones about it. I don't think there are enough people out there sticking up for victims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominick-dunne/i-am-openly-pro-prosecution-and-make-no-bones-about-it-i-don-t-think/) [Dominick Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominick-dunne/) > [Ive lived this very dramatic life, with high points and terrible low points. 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I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. 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Even if you write it wrong, write and finish your first draft. 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