First Drafts Are a Hot Mess, and That’s Okay: How Improv Can Save Your Writing

Photo by Tandem X Visuals on Unsplash

First drafts are supposed to be a disaster. Like, full-on train wreck, clowns-running-from-the-burning-wreckage level disaster. And yet, writers (yes, even you, dear reader) expect their first draft to be this perfect, polished masterpiece. That’s like expecting to land a triple axel the first time you put on ice skates. Not happening, friend.

But what if I told you there’s a way to embrace the chaos? What if I told you that the rules of improv—yes, the kind where people pretend to be talking bananas on stage—can actually help you power through that first draft? Because here’s the thing: writing, at least in the beginning, is all about momentum. And improv is all about momentum.

So let’s borrow from the pros, okay?

Rule #1: Say “Yes, And…”

In improv, when someone says, “We’re on a spaceship run by sentient cats,” you don’t reply, “No, we’re in a grocery store.”

You roll with it.

You say, “Yes! And one of the cats is our disgruntled captain who just lost a poker game to an alien octopus.”

When you’re drafting, say “yes, and” to your own ideas.

That weird plot twist that makes no sense? Yes, and what happens next?

That character who suddenly develops a deep fear of ornamental cabbage? Yes, and how does that complicate their love life?

Drafting is discovery. Let it be weird. You can make it make sense and follow all the perfect story beats later.

If you don’t remember (or you are new here), I have two writing tip posts a week (usually). One is paid content and one is free. Why? Because I need to make a living, really. I know! It’s super annoying. The other four tips are below that paywall.