The “Shitty First Draft”: Why Smart Authors Start Somewhere
If you’re writing a business-building book, you've likely felt the pressure to make every sentence perfect right from the start. You’re not alone.
Many aspiring authors get stuck in perfectionism, thinking they need to nail everything down in the first draft. But here’s the truth: you can’t edit a blank page. The most intimidating part of writing is often just getting started.
That’s where the concept of the shitty first draft comes into play ‒ giving yourself permission to write badly at first, so you can refine and improve later.
What is a Shitty first draft?
I’ve used the phrase “shitty first draft” for years to help my clients overcome perfectionism, but the concept was popularised by author Anne Lamott in her book Bird by Bird. Lamott emphasises that the first draft is about getting words on the page without worrying if they’re good or not. It’s about giving yourself permission to write badly, knowing that revision is where the real work happens.
Lamott isn’t the only advocate of this approach. In On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King discusses the importance of drafting freely and silencing your inner critic during the first pass. Similarly, Steven Pressfield, in The War of Art, explores the resistance writers face and how pushing through the fear of imperfection is essential to finishing that first draft.
For business authors, especially those writing non-fiction to build their brand, it’s natural to want your book to be polished and authoritative from the start. But these examples show that even the most accomplished writers recognise the need for a messy, imperfect draft to bring your ideas to life.
Smart authors know that progress beats perfection ‒ you have to start somewhere.
Why the shitty first draft matters for business book writing
When writing a business book ‒ whether it's to grow your authority, share industry insights, or expand your personal brand ‒ the first draft is where your ideas come to life. It’s your creative sandbox, a space to experiment and explore.
The Shitty First Draft approach is especially valuable for business owners because it allows you to:
- Overcome Writer’s Block: By allowing yourself to write without judgement, you break through blocks and build momentum. Once you put something ‒ anything ‒ down on paper, you can start shaping it and refining your message.
- Capture Raw Ideas: Some of your best thoughts emerge when you’re not filtering yourself. The Shitty First Draft helps you capture these raw ideas before they disappear.
- Build Confidence: Once you have a draft, you’re no longer starting from scratch. Having something to work with is a huge confidence boost and keeps the process moving forward.
Introducing the Shitty First Draft card deck
As a book mentor, I've seen how vital it is for business authors to keep momentum and avoid getting stuck. That’s why I created the Shitty First Draft card deck ‒ designed specifically to help you break through perfectionism and get your ideas down on the page.
This deck is packed with bite-sized strategies and prompts to guide you through the early stages of writing, helping you move from a blank page to a completed manuscript, one imperfect draft at a time. It's a resource you can turn to when you're stuck or need inspiration, giving you that nudge to keep moving forward.
We embraced the same philosophy in creating this deck and it was born out of the shitty first draft philosophy. We could have waited until everything was perfect, but if we had, it might never have launched. Instead, we embraced the process of getting it out there, knowing that it's a starting point ‒ a foundation we can refine and improve over time.
This approach mirrors what we encourage for authors ‒ progress over perfection. The key is getting your ideas out of your head and onto the page, and the Shitty First Draft card deck is designed to help you do just that.
Get a copy of the Shitty First Draft card deck
Ready to make real progress on your business book? Every great book begins with a rough draft, and your ideas deserve to be shared. The Shitty First Draft card deck is here to help you stay motivated, tackle self-doubt, and keep you moving toward your goal.
Grab your copy here and start the next step on your book writing journey with confidence and motivation.