In defence of the messy first draft.

The first version doesn’t have to know what it is yet. Sometimes a rough paragraph or an untidy page makes the next question visible.

Collect fragments. Write the obvious thing. Try an awkward arrangement. Then step away long enough to notice what has energy when you come back.

Something to try

Give an idea twenty minutes before asking whether it’s any good. Make something small enough that you can afford to change your mind.

Sample writing for the prototype. This garden can hold finished essays and unfinished questions alike.