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perfectionism, teen-edition
You've rewritten the first line eleven times. The first line is fine. Move.
Teen perfectionism is sneaky because it looks like 'caring about my craft.' Sometimes it is. Most of the time it's a stall. The first line is the easiest thing to fixate on — short, visible, fixable — which is why writers go back to it instead of writing the next scene. We talk about the difference between editing and tinkering, when to stop, and the rule that has gotten teens out of the first-paragraph loop. Move forward. The line is fine.
Caring about craft · stalling
| Caring | Stalling |
|---|---|
| Revising after a full draft | Revising before scene 3 |
| Reading craft books in between | Reading craft books instead |
| Sharing with one trusted reader | Showing nobody, ever |
| Moving forward most days | Same paragraph for two months |
The first-line lockdown rule
- Write the first line. Save it.
- Do not return to it until you finish the story.
- If you really need to change it, do it once, then leave it.
- Write scene 2. Then scene 3. Keep going.
- Edit the first line in revision, after the rest exists.
The first line is fine. It's the easiest thing to fix later. Stop polishing it before scene 3 exists. That's not craft. That's a stall in costume.
— L.A. Walton, The Book Maven
From the Maven Catalog
- Teen Free eCourse — Stop Polishing the First Line
- Teen Master Course — The Editing Cutoff (Teen Edition)
- Teen eBook — Move, Don't Polish
- Teen Toolkit — Teen Editor's Toolkit
Lock down the first line. Write scene 2. The story exists. Now you can edit. Not before. That's the rule. Use it.