Sometimes you have to write the wrong words first. 

We’ve all heard you can’t edit a blank page. And that’s true. So put the words on the paper. Don’t think about how the characters are flat, the action unrealistic, and the setting bland. Don’t stop because you’ll probably end up cutting most of the words. 

Drafting is messy. And messy drafts aren’t limited to first drafts. I’ve had messy third drafts. But you keep writing, even through the mess, even when the words don’t feel right. You’re writing the wrong words so you can find out what the right words are. 

Sometimes it takes a while to find those right words. And odds are you won’t find all of the right words at once. My current WIP went through around six-ish drafts before I felt like I’d found all of the right words. But I never would have found those right words if I’d simply waited for them with a blank page. 

As I wrote in my notes from a session by Tosca Lee at Realm Makers: 

“Get the clay on the wheel. Don’t stop and keep picking at it, trying to get it perfect. You have to get the whole lump on there until you can make it beautiful. Fix it later. Make it to the end.”

Write your story. Then shape, edit, and refine it. And eventually, you’ll realize you found the right words.