--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Awful first drafts are fine—Agree with…" description: "\"“Awful first drafts are fine—Agree with this. If you don’t finish something, you’ll never get in the game. Just quell the voice in your head that says ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/jamie-freveletti-58483_drafts_awful-first-drafts-are-fine-agree-with-t_662085.jpg" --- # Awful first drafts are fine—Agree with this. If you don’t… ![“Awful first drafts are fine—Agree with this. If you don’t finish something, you’ll never get in the game. Just quell the voice in your head that says “Are you kidding? No one is going to want to read this drivel” and keep on going. You’re going to revise and revise and then revise again anyway.” quote by Jamie Freveletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/jamie-freveletti-58483_drafts_awful-first-drafts-are-fine-agree-with-t_662085.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/jamie-freveletti-58483_drafts_awful-first-drafts-are-fine-agree-with-t_662085.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/jamie-freveletti-58483_drafts_awful-first-drafts-are-fine-agree-with-t_662085.jpg) > ““Awful first drafts are fine—Agree with this. If you don’t finish something, you’ll never get in the game. Just quell the voice in your head that says “Are you kidding? No one is going to want to read this drivel” and keep on going. You’re going to revise and revise and then revise again anyway.”” [Jamie Freveletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-freveletti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes that imperfect drafts are a necessary step; silence self‑doubt and keep revising to improve. **In simple terms:** First drafts are messy; keep revising. Key Takeaway Write, edit, repeat. Themes writing perseverance self‑criticism Mood determined reflective Type motivational practical When to use this quote - novel writing - academic papers - blog posts - creative projects - marketing copy Key Concepts drafting process growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - What excuse stops you from finishing a draft? - How can you reframe self‑criticism as motivation? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I saw a Divine Being. I'm afraid I'm going to have to revise all my various books and opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-ayer/i-saw-a-divine-being-i-m-afraid-i-m-going-to-have-to-revise-all-my/) [A.J. Ayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-ayer/) > [“If you don't listen to the question entirely, then you are going to revise your answers frequently.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/if-you-don-t-listen-to-the-question-entirely-then-you-are-going-to/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Every first draft is perfect because all the first draft has to do is exist. It's perfect in its existence. The only way it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/every-first-draft-is-perfect-because-all-the-first-draft-has-to-do-is/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [“I wrote a book. It sucked. I wrote nine more books. They sucked, too. 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What I do is I seem to revise as I go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/i-wish-i-wrote-drafts-and-then-revised-them-but-i-don-t-what-i-do-is/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [In my own work, I usually revise through forty or fifty drafts of a poem before I begin to feel content with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/in-my-own-work-i-usually-revise-through-forty-or-fifty-drafts-of-a/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [With a pencil and paper, I could revise the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-lurie/with-a-pencil-and-paper-i-could-revise-the-world/) [Alison Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-lurie/) > [SARS was a very important event... And many countries have learned from SARS... The SARS event sort of gave them additional impetus and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-chan/sars-was-a-very-important-event-and-many-countries-have-learned-from/) [Margaret Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-chan/) > [I started on computers with 'Billy Bathgate,' a little orange screen with black letters. I thought it was really cool, but it actually slowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-doctorow/i-started-on-computers-with-billy-bathgate-a-little-orange-screen/) [E. L. Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-doctorow/) > [As we begin to become aware of the narrative patterns around which we structure our lives, we learn how to take charge, revise, refine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-aftel/as-we-begin-to-become-aware-of-the-narrative-patterns-around-which-we/) Mandy Aftel > [I've found that in business opportunities will constantly emerge or situations develop that make you revise your plans along the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-cohen/i-ve-found-that-in-business-opportunities-will-constantly-emerge-or/) [Benjamin Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-cohen/) > [The economists will have to revise their theories of value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-economists-will-have-to-revise-their-theories-of-value/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'd drown in a sea of tears if I lived my life ruminating on the past. I would undoubtedly revise memories to be more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximillian-degenerez/i-d-drown-in-a-sea-of-tears-if-i-lived-my-life-ruminating-on-the-past/) [Maximillian Degenerez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximillian-degenerez/) > [The advice I would offer to any writer is that even when you think you have revised your book to the point where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/the-advice-i-would-offer-to-any-writer-is-that-even-when-you-think/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [I spend a lot of time loathing the sentences that I put down on the page. Once I'm past that phase, it doesn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-loathing-the-sentences-that-i-put-down-on-the/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) ## More by Jamie Freveletti > [“But I will admit, that most of my life has been with the thought of the reaper pacing behind me. I know he's there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-freveletti/but-i-will-admit-that-most-of-my-life-has-been-with-the-thought-of/) [Jamie Freveletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-freveletti/) > [“So for me the creative world isn’t what you do after your day job, though many professional musicians do this to make ends meet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-freveletti/so-for-me-the-creative-world-isn-t-what-you-do-after-your-day-job/) [Jamie Freveletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-freveletti/) > [“Last Saturday night I was in a club on the South Side of Chicago listening to live rock music and talking to a guitar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-freveletti/last-saturday-night-i-was-in-a-club-on-the-south-side-of-chicago/) [Jamie Freveletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-freveletti/) > [“Here’s what I say; Someone has to be a rock star; it might as well be you; Someone has to write books; it might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-freveletti/here-s-what-i-say-someone-has-to-be-a-rock-star-it-might-as-well-be/) [Jamie Freveletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-freveletti/) [Explore all 5 Jamie Freveletti quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-freveletti/) ## More Drafts quotes > [Recently a study proved that working from a larger, less cluttered computer screen increases concentration. 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I couldn't tell you how many drafts I write, but I know I've done at least twenty rewrites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-willis-holt/i-have-to-re-write-a-lot-i-couldn-t-tell-you-how-many-drafts-i-write/) [Kimberly Willis Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-willis-holt/) > [I number my drafts, and by the time a book is done, I'll have 75 or 80 drafts of some sections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-number-my-drafts-and-by-the-time-a-book-is-done-i-ll-have-75-or-80/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I don't read anything electronically. I don't write electronically, either - except e-mails to my family and friends. I write in longhand. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-don-t-read-anything-electronically-i-don-t-write-electronically/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Obviously, drafts sometimes are good ones, or bad ones; I think you can get a good, quality player late in the lottery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-hill/obviously-drafts-sometimes-are-good-ones-or-bad-ones-i-think-you-can/) [Grant Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-hill/) > [I'd really be happy with any team that drafts me. It means they see something in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ja-morant/i-d-really-be-happy-with-any-team-that-drafts-me-it-means-they-see/) [Ja Morant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ja-morant/) > [I'm pretty obsessive-compulsive, and I'm very fast. I tend to not write for a long period of time until I can't not write, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rapp/i-m-pretty-obsessive-compulsive-and-i-m-very-fast-i-tend-to-not-write/) [Adam Rapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rapp/) > [I'm constantly at war with myself to quit goofing around, and the internet hasn't helped that any. I've learned that I have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/i-m-constantly-at-war-with-myself-to-quit-goofing-around-and-the/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [It's always hard, but it's always fun to attack a premise that you think is interesting. It does take a few drafts for sure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/it-s-always-hard-but-it-s-always-fun-to-attack-a-premise-that-you/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [I haven't had trouble with writer's block. I think it's because my process involves writing very badly. 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I like writing many drafts, and I try not to because it is very time-consuming, especially when you're working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-windley/i-can-get-really-obsessive-i-like-writing-many-drafts-and-i-try-not/) [Carol Windley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-windley/) > [I began my first novel when I was 15. It went through three drafts, of around 40,000 words each. If I find it, I'll burn it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/i-began-my-first-novel-when-i-was-15-it-went-through-three-drafts-of/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) Browse all 132 Drafts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Awful first drafts are fine—Agree with this. If you don’t finish something, you’ll never get in the game. Just quell the voice in your head that says “Are you kidding? No one is going to want to read this drivel” and keep on going. 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