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Found out most famous opening lines weren't actually first drafts
Was reading through some old writer interviews last night, and it surprised me how many classic first sentences were rewritten multiple times. One author said their famous opener took over 30 tries before it clicked. Just goes to show that even the pros struggle with getting started, you know? Has anyone else run across a fact about the writing process that made you feel a bit better about your own drafts?
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felix1551d ago
Kinda comforting knowing even the greats had garbage first attempts.
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blair_allen1d ago
Yeah but @felix155, most people's first attempts are never even seen so it's hard to call them garbage. Is it really that deep or just normal learning curves getting overblown?
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ericschmidt18h ago
Yeah 'garbage first attempts' is a good way to put it, but I gotta push back a little on 'garbage.' Most people's early work looks bad because they're still learning the basics, not because they lack talent. The greats probably had a ton of practice nobody saw before they ever showed anything. It's more like they failed in private until they got good enough to try something public. So don't sweat your own first tries too much. Keep grinding and the next attempt will be better.
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