5 Ghostly Mistakes That Can Haunt Your First Draft
Photo by Michelle Gordon on Unsplash
It can be scary to stare at a blank page and figure out how to craft an article that effectively combines your thoughts and research into something that engages your audience. We’ve all been there. But certain first draft mistakes can make your post feel “dead” or difficult to revive.
These mistakes can be part of your mindset when approaching a first draft or a part of the writing process itself.
Watch out for these frightening first draft issues—and know how to fix them.
The Perfectionism Specter
Over-editing while you write can paralyze progress. It can be easy to get stuck rewriting something like a first paragraph over and over again, and it becomes an endless, frustrating loop that prevents a writer from moving forward.
The Fix: Accept that the first draft is just that—a first draft. It’s not going to be the final product right away, it won’t be perfect, and that’s OK. Use the first (and even second) draft to get all your thoughts out. Once you have that first draft fleshed out and can read it in full, it’s easier to see the big picture and pinpoint where edits are truly needed, effectively speeding up the editing process.
Cliché Zombies
Relying on overused phrases instead of fresh, original language hurts the end product. It can feel forced to your readers, take the life out of your writing and negatively affect your personal brand.
The Fix: Write clearly and concisely for your readers. Use natural language that your audience will understand and avoid vague wording and common cliches that clutter the article. Watch for phrases like “the powers that be,” “in a nutshell,” “shines a spotlight on,” etc., and adjust them to inject life back into your writing. Here are some common cliches and journalese to avoid.
A Phantom Audience
If you write without a clear reader in mind, it can result in a vague, wandering piece. Writing for everyone can lead to an article that lacks focus, has an inconsistent tone and loses its main point. As part of the first draft process, writers should identify their target audience and tailor the piece to their needs.
The Fix: At the beginning of the writing process, narrow down your ideal reader. What is their job? What is their level of expertise on the topic? How is your article going to help them? This focus will give your post a sharp, consistent voice and purpose.
A Bottomless Pit of Background
Writers can fall into an endless loop of research and fact-checking, piling up notes and sources without ever making the leap to the actual drafting process. The post becomes infinitely delayed because the writer feels they just don’t know enough yet, burying the core idea under a mountain of context.
The Fix: Set a hard time limit on your initial research. As you begin writing, it will be easy to spot where research gaps exist and where more information is needed for readers. Remember that a first draft is simply a container for your main argument; you can always dig up more facts during the revision phase or write follow-up posts as you uncover more information.
A Frankenstein Structure
Picture a draft that is patched together from various, ill-fitting parts—a great opening paragraph followed by a section that completely shifts topic, a brilliant anecdote that doesn’t serve the main point, or conclusions that contradict earlier claims. It’s a jumbled, awkward collection of ideas that lacks a unified voice or logical flow.
The Fix: Before you start writing, outline your piece with a single, clear main argument (the brain) and ensure every major section (the limbs) supports that central idea. Use things like bullets and section headers to help make the structure more organized and easier for a reader (or AI bot) to scan for important details. Be ruthless about cutting any section that wanders off the path.
Exercise Your Bad Writing Habits
Although the mistakes mentioned here can be paralyzing and stop the post from ever getting off the ground, there are still missteps to watch for in other stages of the writing process. Learn more in 8 Bad Writing Habits to Stop and How to Fix Them.
Wishing you a scare-free first draft!
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Rocky Parker is the Manager of Audience and Journalist Engagement at Cision PR Newswire. She's been with the company since 2010 and has worked with journalists and bloggers as well as PR and comms professionals. Outside of work, she can be found trying a new recipe, binging a new show, or cuddling with her pitbull, Hudson.
