Writing IS Messy!
When I went to a doctor’s appointment recently, I walked into a medical building in the middle of a paint job. Baseboards had been removed, drop cloths scattered and paint tins full. A painter was sprawled on the ground, paint brush in hand.
No surprise, the dishevel made the place look a mess.
Did it bother me? Of course not. It was obvious why the hallways looked the way they did. Having painted my own house (and I’m so not a painter!) I could appreciate that the mess had to happen to get the results the painter (and building owners) wanted.
Sound familiar? Does this sound like your first draft? That you necessarily have to make a mess before you can craft it into something beautiful, polished and finished.
And that’s that everyone expects.
We usually apologize for our “shitty draft” or “terrible writing” or “mess of pages”. We shouldn’t. The painter I passed did not apologize for his work—he had no reason to. I understood he couldn’t do his job without making a mess. But I had every faith that he’d follow through the steps of a good paint job and finish. I’m sure the next time I go, the place will look fresh and finished.
Therefore, there’s no reason for you to apologize for following the writing process. Unless you’re a literary genius (and I have yet to meet one), you will make a mess on your first (and second, third, maybe even tenth draft). It’s expected!
So never feel like you need to say sorry for being creative.