When it comes to writing, many of us have been guilty of falling in love with our first draft. We pour our hearts and souls into those initial words, and it can be daunting to think about making significant changes. But what if we told you that the key to crafting a remarkable story is not to obsess over that first draft, but to be unfaithful to it?

This approach is at the heart of our Magnetic Field Method. The idea is simple yet liberating: don’t memorize that first draft. Why? Because when you do, you become too attached to your original ideas and sentences, making it difficult to see the need for changes and revisions. You become stagnant, stuck in the tunnel vision of your initial creation.

Writing a first draft is like navigating through a dark tunnel. With each sentence, you illuminate a small section of the path behind you, but the path ahead remains shrouded in darkness. It’s a dreamlike experience, where images and feelings swirl together in a jumbled mess. Just as when recounting a dream, you must reorganize and connect the disjointed pieces into a coherent story.

The insights gained from that first draft form the foundation for the second draft. Instead of editing, try rewriting from scratch. This approach may seem counterintuitive, but it saves time in the long run and provides new perspectives. By letting go of your first draft, you open yourself up to new ideas and possibilities. The second draft is where your story starts to take shape.

The iterative process of writing, rewriting, and revising is at the core of our method. It’s through this back-and-forth process that a remarkable story emerges, not from a fully envisioned start. By embracing the freedom to revise and letting go of your first draft, you’ll be amazed at the depth and complexity your story can achieve.

You can find the a whole episode on “Rewriting” in the Magnetic Field Method School.

So, take a deep breath, and be willing to betray your first draft.