5 Reasons To Dump Your Old Drafts

#3 — Forcing your writing produces bad results.

Photo by Robbie Noble on Unsplash

I have many draft ideas sitting in my stories folder. We all do.

Some of my drafts date back to last year. Those are ideas that (so far) haven’t gone anywhere, but I’m still holding on. Holding on until the day that I find the motivation to write them.

Why? Why do I do this to myself?

Is it productive to stare at an idea that just… doesn’t speak to me anymore? I would argue, no.

While it isn’t necessary to have a clean “drafts” folder, it is important not to get hung up on old ideas. Don’t let yourself feel guitly and try to force finishing an article or story that just doesn’t work.

Let yourself open up to the possibilities of new and interesting ideas, and try to focus on the pieces that will help improve you as a writer and storyteller.

Even more, don’t put so much pressure on yourself to finish every piece you start. Intead, it is better to learn to recognize which ones are worth pursuing.

Here are 5 good reasons to dump your old drafts:

1. Hoarding and Clutter:

Holding onto old drafts can create clutter and chaos in your writing process. It’s important to…