We all hope the words we spin are genius right from the first draft, but let’s be honest: You can revise a draft easier than you can craft perfection from the start. So instead of pining over every sentence, just write, write write.

“When I find I can’t get the gumption to work on an assignment of some sort, it’s because my perfectionist nature is getting in the way and won’t let me actually start, or continue if I’ve already gotten the ball rolling,” says Denene Millner, author of 19 books, including three New York Times bestsellers.

“I’ve read several interviews and articles in the past that had suggested giving yourself permission to write a crappy draft, even going as far as suggesting that you ask your muse to help you write the worst sentence you possibly can,” she advised. “Once you do that, not only do you see that said crap draft or sentence isn’t the end of the world, but then you’ve officially started. So you might as well keep going.”

Still stuck? Check out How to Conquer Writer’s Burnout and Get More Creative.

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