There’s No Such Thing as a “Crappy” First Draft–REALLY!
It bears repeating: a first draft is not supposed to be perfect. Or, well, it is perfect if you assess it according to the right criteria. Does it get your ideas on the page? That’s it, that’s all. There’s nothing “crappy” about it because you’re not comparing it to a final draft!
Think of it like this: a house has a foundation. It needs framing. If you walk by a construction site as the house is being built, you wouldn’t say that house is “crappy”. Because it’s not a house yet! It’s in the process of becoming a house. But it’s not yet livable. It’s not supposed to be. But if you do plan to live in it, you’d want to make sure the foundation is strong and the framing is firm. That’s what you’re assessing. They’re necessary elements to a strong house, like your first draft is necessary to a strong story, but they’re not comparable.
Yet I see so many writers who feel like they have to have already slapped on the paint, hung the curtains and put up the artwork by the time they finish that last sentence on their first draft. No wonder writing is so hard when we make it extra hard on ourselves!
Yes, writing is hard. So go easy on yourself where you can. Take your time to get ideas on the page. If you’ve done that? You have a perfect first draft.