---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Six years after I wrote the first draft…"
description: "\"Six years after I wrote the first draft of 'Plan B,' I received my first paycheck as a writer. It included both the $3,000 in deferred option money as ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/lisa-lutz-7434_draft_six-years-after-i-wrote-the-first-draft_835429.png"
---

#  Six years after I wrote the first draft of 'Plan B,' I…

![“Six years after I wrote the first draft of 'Plan B,' I received my first paycheck as a writer. It included both the $3,000 in deferred option money as well as half the fee for performing the initial rewrite. The amount was scale according to the Writer's Guild guidelines, but a lot, according to me.” quote by Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/lisa-lutz-7434_draft_six-years-after-i-wrote-the-first-draft_835429.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/lisa-lutz-7434_draft_six-years-after-i-wrote-the-first-draft_835429.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/lisa-lutz-7434_draft_six-years-after-i-wrote-the-first-draft_835429.png)

> “Six years after I wrote the first draft of 'Plan B,' I received my first paycheck as a writer. It included both the $3,000 in deferred option money as well as half the fee for performing the initial rewrite. The amount was scale according to the Writer's Guild guidelines, but a lot, according to me.”

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Persistence in writing pays off; early drafts can eventually lead to paid work and recognition.

**In simple terms:** Hard work can become profitable over time.

Key Takeaway

Keep writing and trust the process.

Themes

writing career perseverance

Mood

hopeful determined

Type

inspirational career

When to use this quote

- freelance contracts
- first paycheck
- career milestones

Key Concepts

deferred compensation guild guidelines creative process

Questions to Reflect On

- What steps can you take to monetize early drafts?
- How do you handle delayed compensation?

A Different Perspective

Success may still be delayed despite early signs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[000 Deferred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/000-deferred-595643/) [Draft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draft/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Option](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/option/) [Paycheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paycheck/) [Paycheck Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paycheck-writer-595641/) [Plan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plan/) [Plan b](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plan-b/) [Writer Included](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-included-595644/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Wrote Draft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-draft-595642/)

## Related quotes

> [Every published writer, myself included, was at one time unpublished. All writers know what rejection feels like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-shaffer/every-published-writer-myself-included-was-at-one-time-unpublished/)

[Andrew Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-shaffer/)

> [I wrote the first draft of 'Plan B' the summer after I turned 21.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-wrote-the-first-draft-of-plan-b-the-summer-after-i-turned-21/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [ Suzanne \[Collins\] was very involved in the development of the script. She wrote the first draft. She was very involved with Billy Ray, when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jacobson/suzanne-collins-was-very-involved-in-the-development-of-the-script/)

[Nina Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jacobson/)

> [I wrote the first draft of 'Madame Bovary' without studying the previous translations, although I gathered them and took the occasional peek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/i-wrote-the-first-draft-of-madame-bovary-without-studying-the/)

[Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/)

> [“Gaiman wrote the first draft in fountain pen, in several five-hundred-page, leather-bound sketchbooks that he purchased in a close-out sale. "I really wanted a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-wagner/gaiman-wrote-the-first-draft-in-fountain-pen-in-several-five-hundred/)

[Hank Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-wagner/)

> [ I had read \[Charles\] Dickens's novels were often published serially. I thought it would be fun to write a book, just sitting down and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-rae-perkins/i-had-read-charles-dickens-s-novels-were-often-published-serially-i/)

[Lynne Rae Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-rae-perkins/)

> [I wrote the first draft of the New People quickly but it had been percolating a lot longer. It's a hard question to answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/i-wrote-the-first-draft-of-the-new-people-quickly-but-it-had-been/)

[Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/)

> [I discovered John Truby ten years ago when a friend told me about his screenwriting course. I studied Truby's principles for a year and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lawrence/i-discovered-john-truby-ten-years-ago-when-a-friend-told-me-about-his/)

[Caroline Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lawrence/)

> ['Rent' was a special project for me. It was my first notable screenplay job. I worked with two wonderful directors on it, starting with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/rent-was-a-special-project-for-me-it-was-my-first-notable-screenplay/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [ I remember Emilio \[Estevez\] and I were at John's house during the rehearsal process. And John \[Huges\] had mentioned he wrote the first draft… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/i-remember-emilio-estevez-and-i-were-at-john-s-house-during-the/)

[Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/)

> [I wrote a draft of 'Playboy' for Warner Brothers, and it was impossible to really be independent of Hugh Hefner. In the end, Hugh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/i-wrote-a-draft-of-playboy-for-warner-brothers-and-it-was-impossible/)

[Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/)

> [I wrote the first draft of my first novel at Michigan, and then I wrote the first draft of 'Salvage the Bones' at Stanford.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wrote-the-first-draft-of-my-first-novel-at-michigan-and-then-i/)

[Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/)

> [George Jones, Johnny Paycheck all them dudes they're respected and they were twice as crazy as I'll ever be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-williams-iii/george-jones-johnny-paycheck-all-them-dudes-they-re-respected-and/)

[Hank Williams III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-williams-iii/)

> [We have held forums here at the White House on workplace flexibility, and the first major bill signed into law by President Obama was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/we-have-held-forums-here-at-the-white-house-on-workplace-flexibility/)

[Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/)

> [As a prosecutor, I got a paycheck for coming to work every day. I didn't get a promotion when I won, and I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-grace/as-a-prosecutor-i-got-a-paycheck-for-coming-to-work-every-day-i-didn/)

[Nancy Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-grace/)

## More by Lisa Lutz

> [The sense of not knowing where I came from let me be as smart as I wanted to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/the-sense-of-not-knowing-where-i-came-from-let-me-be-as-smart-as-i/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [“I have a weakness for tough guys who read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-have-a-weakness-for-tough-guys-who-read/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [“I ordered a beer, opened the newspaper, and realized the light was all wrong for reading. Still, if you're a woman sitting alone in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-ordered-a-beer-opened-the-newspaper-and-realized-the-light-was-all/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [I have certain rules for snooping, under which anything out in the open is fair game. But I also think, in light of some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-have-certain-rules-for-snooping-under-which-anything-out-in-the/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [Band I listen to most: The Ramones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/band-i-listen-to-most-the-ramones/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [“I was angry, but I was also tired and devastated by the idea that I would have to spend another four hours trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-was-angry-but-i-was-also-tired-and-devastated-by-the-idea-that-i/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [I was on a few surveillance jobs as part of a big team. I would be the person to follow the subject on foot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-was-on-a-few-surveillance-jobs-as-part-of-a-big-team-i-would-be-the/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [“I was thinking what everyone is thinking all of the time: How can I make this last just a little bit longer?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-was-thinking-what-everyone-is-thinking-all-of-the-time-how-can-i/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [I entered his apartment without being invited, which is perfectly fine if you're not a vampire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-entered-his-apartment-without-being-invited-which-is-perfectly-fine/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [I could never really choose a favorite book, but whenever I'm asked what my favorite movie is, I always say 'Withnail &amp; I,' a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-could-never-really-choose-a-favorite-book-but-whenever-i-m-asked/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [I wouldn't say that my family is normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-wouldn-t-say-that-my-family-is-normal/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [Sometimes a single item can wrap up, in a nutshell, who a person is. In my grandparents' home, a clear plastic container was enthroned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/sometimes-a-single-item-can-wrap-up-in-a-nutshell-who-a-person-is-in/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [I knew immediately that this was not going to work out. Hunter is the kind of guy who dates women who wear high heels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-knew-immediately-that-this-was-not-going-to-work-out-hunter-is-the/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [I don't feel like I'm a writer who works under any influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-don-t-feel-like-i-m-a-writer-who-works-under-any-influence/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

> [What's her name?" "None of your business." "That can't possibly be her name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/what-s-her-name-none-of-your-business-that-can-t-possibly-be-her-name/)

[Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

[Explore all 91 Lisa Lutz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/)

## 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": "Six years after I wrote the first draft of 'Plan B,' I received my first paycheck as a writer. It included both the $3,000 in deferred option money as well as half the fee for performing the initial rewrite. The amount was scale according to the Writer's Guild guidelines, but a lot, according to me.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lisa Lutz"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/six-years-after-i-wrote-the-first-draft-of-plan-b-i-received-my-first/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Draft"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/six-years-after-i-wrote-the-first-draft-of-plan-b-i-received-my-first/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/lisa-lutz-7434_draft_six-years-after-i-wrote-the-first-draft_835429.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/lisa-lutz-7434_draft_six-years-after-i-wrote-the-first-draft_835429.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/lisa-lutz-7434_draft_six-years-after-i-wrote-the-first-draft_835429.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Six years after I wrote the first draft of 'Plan B,' I received my first paycheck as a writer. It included…” — Lisa Lutz",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Lisa Lutz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Six years after I wrote the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/six-years-after-i-wrote-the-first-draft-of-plan-b-i-received-my-first/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/six-years-after-i-wrote-the-first-draft-of-plan-b-i-received-my-first/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
