You have the right to write badly

Published 23 days ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader,

Happy Independence Day! While we’re celebrating freedom, sparklers, and possibly overcooked hot dogs, I’d like to propose another kind of liberty worth toasting:

The freedom to write terribly.
Yes, you heard me. Awkward dialogue, clunky exposition, inconsistent characters, plot holes you could drive a truck through—bring it all on.

First drafts are supposed to be messy.
Not “kind of messy,” not “slightly unpolished.”
I mean leaving your notebook open during a windstorm kind of messy. Why? Because creativity and perfection do not hold hands. In fact, perfection usually stands in the corner, arms crossed, muttering about typos and threatening to kill your momentum.

So this July 4th, I invite you to celebrate your creative independence by giving yourself permission to write wildly, gloriously, unapologetically bad pages. Write the cliché. Miss the beat. Let your metaphors mix like red solo cups in a frat house.

Because here’s the thing:
You can’t revise a blank page, but you can rewrite a hot mess into something magical.

This is your story. And you get to write it your way. Even if that way begins with a dumpster fire of a draft.

So grab a sparkler and a pen. Wave them both around like you mean it.

And remember:
There’s no freedom like creative freedom.
And there’s no braver act than writing badly today so you can write brilliantly tomorrow.

Go forth and make a mess.
(Your future self will thank you.)

For my non-Texan friends here is an explanation of flash floods and my connection to the area and Camp Mystic.

I felt I had to address the 4th of July tragedy in this resend.

In Case You Missed It

I’m on Peak Potential with Alec Mountain – The Pitch Master’s Playbook: How Lindsey Hughes Helps Creators Tell Stories that Stick! Listen or watch!

Do the Hard Thing

Loki is in Charge

Surviving Disruption

Cheers,

Lindsey

Thanks for reading!

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