Editor’s Choice — Top 10: How Good Writers Have Fun Writing Their First Drafts

Let’s have a look at our top 10 stories today

R.L. Stein says, in his Masterclass course intro, “Writing doesn’t have to be scary. You must have fun with your first draft.”

But the question is this: how can you have fun writing your first draft?

Stein’s way to enjoy writing is to start with the end. Once he knows what will happen, he can spend the whole book fooling the reader into believing a different ending. He writes horror-fantasy. Check the Haunting Hour tv-series if you like a good scare.

When you are writing your first draft, you are in the judgment-free zone. Let your mind go where it wants to go when you are trying to write something. Write badly — if that makes you happy.

Jennifer Egan, a Pulitzer-winning writer, has something similar to say about willingness to write badly:

“You can only write regularly if you’re willing to write badly. You can’t write regularly and well. One should accept bad writing as a way of priming the pump, a warm-up exercise that allows you to write well.”

Yeah, that’s right. You cannot hope to write a story and expect that maiden story to be your life’s best work. By the way, I love the priming the pump analogy. You keep writing badly until one day you are ready to write well.

When I started writing this piece, I wanted to explore what other writers do to make writing fun. That was my excuse for writing it, and, perhaps, that is why you are reading it. As a writer, let yourself explore and read what other great writers did to have fun.

But first select a topic you would like to write about:

“Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.” ~Kurt Vonnegut

Writers have their idiosyncrasies — explore your own. As Ann Dillard says in her book The Writing Life. “Frank Conroy loves his yo-yo tricks, Emily Dickinson her slant of light; Richard Selzer loves the glistening peritoneum, Faulkner the muddy bottom of a little girl’s drawers visible when she’s up a pear tree. “Each student of the ferns,” I read, “will have his own list of plants that for some reason or another stir his emotions.” ”

Writers have their kinky interests that turn them on. Natalie Goldberg, in her book, Writing Down the Bones, tells a story, “it was told to me — about a yogi in India who ate a car. Not all at once, but slowly over a year’s time. Now, I like a story like that. How much weight did he gain? How old was he? Did he have a full set of teeth? Even the carburetor, the steering wheel, the radio? What make was the car? Did he drink the oil?”

Like the yogi, you can learn to write slowly over a year. Until everybody is ready to give you a standing ovation, keep writing. “If you work on something a little bit every day, you end up with something that is massive,” says Kenneth Goldsmith.

“Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.” ~ Salvador Dali

Who’s Salvador Dali? He was a Spanish surrealist artist famous for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and bizarre images.

“Having your work hated by certain people is a badge of honor.“ ~ Austin Kleon in Show Your Work

Imitate. Write badly. Love your haters. And have fun.

Here is the list of our top 10 stories — by writers who had fun writing them:

10. I Wrote a Sex Scene as a Virgin. Here’s How it Went.

Olivia Petris is a novelist, computer scientist, and cockapoo owner. When she is not on the computer, you will find her in the back of a bookshop that nobody’s heard of.

She is a good writer. Her writing style is honest, witty, and entertaining. Do check her other work. She is new to Medium and needs your love.

When I brushed the dust off of my first book last night, I always expected to cringe a bit. Very few first attempts at writing a novel are prize-worthy, but I figured I’d give my book a read through for nostalgia’s sake. Safe to say, I hardly expected to find one of the best scenes I’ve ever written tucked between its pages — and for it to be a sex scene.

9. The Net Worth of All the Kardashian~Jenners

Liam Hunter-Bailey is a Student | British | Travel Lover | English, French, and Portuguese.

He is a fine writer. His writing style is simple, direct, and informative. Do check his other work.

After 14 years and 20 seasons of Keeping Up with the Kardashians (KUWTK), the reality show has finally come to an end. The family announced their decision on social media in October 2020 and revealed that the last season will air in September 2021.

In January 2021, the family celebrated their last ever day of filming by having a garden party with some of their most loyal crew members and splashed out over $300,000 on luxury Rolex watches to give to their staff as a thank you gift.

8. How Building An MVP Helped Me Achieve Success

João V Souza helps entrepreneurs build healthy organizations.

He is a superb writer. His writing style is informative, to the point, and thought-provoking. Do check his other work.

“If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” — Reid Hoffman

One reason entrepreneurs cannot make money is that they take too much time to finish their products. They want to build something perfect; they don’t know when it is the time to stop and launch what they have.

7. Why Are Women Obsessed With Wearing High Heels

Hannah Ellen is an average Irish girl with not so average ideas. She enjoys writing about lifestyle, self-improvement, fitness, health, and anything else that takes my fancy.

High heels. A women’s fashion statement as old as time itself… or maybe not.

In todays world, no matter how progressive it seems, we still deem high heels a women’s shoe. Made to make us feel powerful, feminine, classy, bold or whatever way it is painted in the media that week.

6. 5 Wonders Of The Animal World That Inspired Great Technological Breakthroughs

Alejandra Vlerick is a Biomedical Engineer, Imperial College London. She is finding the balance between coding and sailing.

She is an excellent writer. Her writing style is informative, easy to read, and very engaging. Don’t forget to check her other work.

A couple of months ago, I took a class at university called “Biomimicry”. You’re probably wondering, what does that even mean? I had the same question.

Biomimicry is the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are inspired on biological entities and processes.

5. How Did Japan Become Infested with Raccoons?

Jason Ward is a freelance writer and an author. He lives in Asia. He is a top writer in Reading, History, Culture, Books, and Future.

Jason is a fabulous writer. His stories often reach the top 10 series. His writing style is easy to read, informative, and extremely engaging.

Raccoons are cute as hell. They also have a reputation for rascally behaviour. It was precisely these qualities that gave rise to their popularity in Japan, prompted by a 70s TV show.

Unfortunately, Japan now has something of raccoon problem. And it is spreading. They have already become naturalized in 44 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. They are proving to be major pests, eating crops and indigenous species such as the Japanese crayfish and the Ezo salamander. The raccoons have even damaged 80% of Japan’s temples.

4. The Story of How My 3 Partners Left My Company

Another one by João V Souza.

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” ― Epictetus

I had the experience of having my three initial partners leaving the company that we founded together.

3. Things Go Better With Sweat

John Cunningham is dedicated to helping you get more out of life through effective communication and personal development.

He is an excellent writer. His writing style is honest, direct, emotionally appealing, and very engaging. Don’t miss this masterpiece.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I start the day with exercise and breaking a sweat, the entire day just seems to go a little bit better. While this is easier said than done, breaking a sweat first thing in the morning does have its benefits. Don’t give up though, just because you miss a day or exercising in the morning is not possible. Breaking a sweat, even one day a week, is better than not at all.

2. When Black People Want To Be Whiter

Rebecca Stevens A. writes about racism, but there are so many other things she would like to write about instead. ‘Help me dismantle racism so that I can get to that,’ she says.

She is a global nomad-Sierra Leone-Switzerland-Canada-Sociologist-Philosopher-Writer-Swimmer-Paraglider-Dog lover-Passionate-Kind-Impatient Optimist-Pro-Democracy-Brave.

She is an extraordinary writer. Her writing style is honest, direct, and extremely engaging. Follow her. Read her. Wait for her next story.

I was at an African beauty store in Paris, France and the shopkeeper was trying to convince me to buy a skin-lightening cream.

“I’m fine thanks, I don’t bleach my skin”, I responded.

“Well you should, it would make you look fine”, the Senegalese shopkeeper responded, a wide toothy grin on her face.

1. How Writing Love Letters Made Me a Better Writer

At number one, it is Tom Handy. He is an investor writing his thoughts online. He has 7 million views on Quora.

He is an outstanding writer. His writing style is frank, honest, to the point, and very engaging. Don’t miss this one and check his other work.

I started dating in the early 1990s and my weapon of choice was writing love letters to my girlfriend. Over the years, I actually had a few girlfriends to practice my penmanship. Those days are long gone because of the internet.

If you want to improve your writing, try writing love letters to your significant other. Then you really get to put your emotion into your writing. You will be surprised how much your writing improves over time.

This post is part of the Top 10 Series — you can meet 400+ top writers with these links:

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Final Thoughts

If your story was selected in the Top 10, please share another one of your stories with a brief introduction and a short convincing review — in the comments. (Please write the review in the third person and start it with your name.)

I must have missed something today. I cannot read every story on Illumination and Illumination-Curated. I try — and fail daily — to read all of the masterpieces.

I am inviting you to join our private Facebook group for Illumination writers. Also please follow my publication — positive minds.

If you find any mistake, typo, or other error, please leave a private note for correction. Thanks.

To be included as a top 10 writer, read these curation guidelines carefully.

You can read my curated stories here.