Writing tip: The belief that the 1st draft must be good makes working on it an intimidating prospect that often leads to paralysis. So let the 1st draft be junk; it should be purely about getting from start to finish, nothing more. You really write the piece when you rewrite it.

If you want to become a great writer, you need to allow yourself to create “junk.”

1. Write to Make Sense of Things

You don’t need to start with a point. You just need to start.

This is private writing. Messy, nonlinear, uncool. It’s the kind of writing that happens in the margins of your notebook, in half-sentences, in half-truths you’re still working through.

But this is where your best thinking gets born. This is where vague... See more