Stop chasing perfection. Learn why getting your first draft done beats getting it perfect, and how finishing unlocks stronger revisions and publishing success.

Every writer knows the feeling: staring at a blank page, convinced the first chapter has to be perfect before moving on. But what if the real obstacle isn’t writer’s block—it’s perfectionism? In this episode, bestselling author Vanessa Riley challenges the idea that a manuscript must be “finished” before it’s worth celebrating. Instead, she introduces a more practical goal: getting to done.

Drawing from her own writing process, Vanessa shares why first drafts exist to discover the story, not perfect it, and why editing only becomes effective once you’ve reached the end. Whether you’re outlining your first novel, juggling historical research, struggling with endless revisions, or deciding between indie and traditional publishing, this conversation offers practical advice for moving forward.

Learn why writers need to stop polishing chapter one, embrace imperfect pages, and trust that character arcs, motivations, and story structure become clearer only after the full manuscript exists. If you’ve been battling writer’s block, rewriting the same scenes, or wondering if your book will ever be ready, this episode will give you the encouragement—and the strategy—to finish the draft that’s been waiting inside you. Because you can’t edit a blank page, but you can always improve a completed one. 

Recommended Books

• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
• Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
• On Writing by Stephen King

The goal isn’t perfection.The goal is to get to done.

Keywords: Writer’s block, first draft, writing process, writing motivation, finish your novel, editing, manuscript, creative process, author advice, writing tips, productivity, perfectionism, indie publishing, traditional publishing, plotting, pantsing, plantsing, novel writing, fiction writing, writing craft, creative writing, storytelling, book writing, writing coach, aspiring authors, author life, publishing, revision, writing habits, Vanessa Riley

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Episode Notes & Extras 


Find my full show notes, behind-the-scenes thoughts, and extras on Substack → vanessariley.substack.com 

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