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Nobody’s perfect. (Or are they?) In today’s episode of Cliffhangers and Cocktails, Shéa and Amy sit down to discuss the myth of the perfect first draft in a one-hit wonder episode about writing craft.

This week’s episode was recorded a million years (give or take almost a million years) ago in late 2025 but never saw the light of day. UNTIL NOW.

Now, while I did consider NOT editing this episode to really share what the first draft of a podcast looks like, I decided against it.

Please let us know about both your moral outrage AND any resources you use when creating your first drafts!

Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the perfection of #hotmessauthors Amy & Shéa!

Ritual and complete notes at: https://www.cliffhangersandcocktails.com/episode-53-episode-53-hotmessauthors

Resources

Why ‘The Perfect First Draft’ is a Myth by Josh Spilker (behind the Medium paywall): https://medium.com/create-make-write/why-the-perfect-first-draft-is-a-myth-adaac2c654ca

Shitty First Drafts by Anne Lamott: https://wrd.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/1-Shitty%20First%20Drafts.pdf

Write Novels Fast: Down and Dirty Draft: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748PSJJK

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Thanks - the Caftan Coven