--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every first draft sucks, so when you have…" description: "\"Every first draft sucks, so when you have your favorite novel, and you're like, 'Wow, this is a masterpiece,' and then you write your first draft, and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/tomi-adeyemi-14482_bad_every-first-draft-sucks-so-when-you-have_3136490.jpg" --- # Every first draft sucks, so when you have your favorite… ![“Every first draft sucks, so when you have your favorite novel, and you're like, 'Wow, this is a masterpiece,' and then you write your first draft, and you're like, 'This is really bad,' and then you're like 'I can't do this because this is nowhere close.' When, in reality, the book you loved so…” quote by Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/tomi-adeyemi-14482_bad_every-first-draft-sucks-so-when-you-have_3136490.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/tomi-adeyemi-14482_bad_every-first-draft-sucks-so-when-you-have_3136490.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/tomi-adeyemi-14482_bad_every-first-draft-sucks-so-when-you-have_3136490.jpg) > “Every first draft sucks, so when you have your favorite novel, and you're like, 'Wow, this is a masterpiece,' and then you write your first draft, and you're like, 'This is really bad,' and then you're like 'I can't do this because this is nowhere close.' When, in reality, the book you loved so much started out just as crappy.” [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage reminds us that initial attempts are often poor, but perseverance leads to improvement and eventual mastery. **In simple terms:** First drafts are usually bad. Key Takeaway Keep writing despite early flaws. Themes perseverance creativity growth Mood motivational realistic Type creative inspirational When to use this quote - writing - artistic projects - skill development - academic research Key Concepts learning curve process orientation Questions to Reflect On - Why do we fear early failure? - How can we use initial drafts to improve? A Different Perspective May underplay the value of early feedback and revision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [I don't like re-writing very much. The fourth and the fifth draft - that's too much like work. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diablo-cody/i-do-a-nice-sloppy-first-draft-like-everybody-else-and-then-just-work/) [Diablo Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diablo-cody/) > [Writing a first draft is like trying to build a house in a strong wind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/writing-a-first-draft-is-like-trying-to-build-a-house-in-a-strong-wind/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“For God sake write and don't worry about what the boys will say nor whether it will be a masterpiece nor what. I write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/for-god-sake-write-and-don-t-worry-about-what-the-boys-will-say-nor/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [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/) > [I always write on unlined typing paper and write the first draft in longhand, using cheap Bic pens. I try to write about four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/i-always-write-on-unlined-typing-paper-and-write-the-first-draft-in/) [Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/) > [You write that first draft really to see how it's going to come out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-michener/you-write-that-first-draft-really-to-see-how-it-s-going-to-come-out/) [James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-michener/) > [I write until the first draft is finished, and then I feel that I can get out. 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I like the show, I like the character,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-pratt/i-read-every-script-from-beginning-to-end-and-i-read-every-draft-that/) [Victoria Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-pratt/) > [I write my first draft by hand, at least for fiction. For non-fiction, I write happily on a computer, but for fiction I write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-write-my-first-draft-by-hand-at-least-for-fiction-for-non-fiction-i/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [Some writers find that they don't know their themes until they've finished the first draft (I am one). They then rewrite with an eye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-kress/some-writers-find-that-they-don-t-know-their-themes-until-they-ve/) [Nancy Kress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-kress/) > [“No thinking – that comes later. You write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-thinking-that-comes-later-you-write-your-first-draft-with-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Tomi Adeyemi > [We've been told the same story for so long. We've seen literally 1,000 'Lord of the Rings' movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/we-ve-been-told-the-same-story-for-so-long-we-ve-seen-literally-1-000/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [I'm a huge 'Harry Potter' fan, but I still think there is a lot of anime that is crazier than 'Harry Potter,' and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/i-m-a-huge-harry-potter-fan-but-i-still-think-there-is-a-lot-of-anime/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [Children of color need a mirror to see themselves in. And then people who don't have that experience, they need a window. 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To chose one means the other must suffer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/you-have-your-duty-and-your-heart-to-chose-one-means-the-other-must/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [The YA author community is generally pretty friendly, and they care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/the-ya-author-community-is-generally-pretty-friendly-and-they-care/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [As writers, our craft makes us sit alone at a desk and hammer away at our novel. Doing that day in and day out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/as-writers-our-craft-makes-us-sit-alone-at-a-desk-and-hammer-away-at/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [I spent 12 years of my life writing stories without black people. That's insane to me. It's insane that I could have believed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/i-spent-12-years-of-my-life-writing-stories-without-black-people-that/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [In terms of people who want to be writers, I wish more people knew how much work it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/in-terms-of-people-who-want-to-be-writers-i-wish-more-people-knew-how/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [Everyone has a story that they read when they were younger that influenced them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/everyone-has-a-story-that-they-read-when-they-were-younger-that/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [You can make something out of every unfinished story and every rejection if you work at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/you-can-make-something-out-of-every-unfinished-story-and-every/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [My freshman year of college, 'The Hunger Games' movie adaptation came out, and I was really excited about it. This was maybe 2011. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/my-freshman-year-of-college-the-hunger-games-movie-adaptation-came/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) [Explore all 46 Tomi Adeyemi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) ## More Bad quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. 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When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. 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So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) Browse all 7,973 Bad quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every first draft sucks, so when you have your favorite novel, and you're like, 'Wow, this is a masterpiece,' and then you write your first draft, and you're like, 'This is really bad,' and then you're like 'I can't do this because this is nowhere close.' 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