Abandoned Quote by Paul Rudnick
“I work sometimes from outlines, which are immediately abandoned. Sometimes, when I'm trying to find the characters, I'll sketch things out a bit. Sometimes, outlines help me aim a little bit, but I tend to find it's usually much more interesting, especially with the first draft, to spew it onto the page. I used to get very nervous that, if I write this first rough draft and I die that night, whoever finds it might think that I thought it was good. For me, it's much more important to get some general shape onto the page and later take all the time I need to refine it, fix it, and rewrite it.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Writing Process, 2008
Outlines help but spontaneity in first drafts yields richer work; shape comes later.
In simple terms: First drafts are messy, refine later.
Key Takeaway
Write freely, edit later.
Themes
creativity
process
writing
drafting
confidence
Mood
enthusiastic
reflective
Type
creative
instructional
When to use this quote
- author workshops
- personal journals
- blogging
- novel writing
Key Concepts
literature
psychology
productivity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance planning and spontaneity?
- What steps help you refine drafts?
A Different Perspective
Perfectionism can stall initial creation.
![“I love [my parents], but what if I could really talk to them? I mean, what if they had some answers? Or would that just be too weird?” quote by Paul Rudnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6e6/paul-rudnick-17393_answers_i-love-my-parents-but-what-if-i-could-re_671603.jpg)
