When you read great writing, it has a magical quality. Those words can transport you to faraway worlds or help you see things you never saw before. Great writing can also help you learn something that will change your life. 

But where does great writing come from? And more importantly, how can we create it? 

In order to come into existence, great writing must pass through two realms: the heart and the head. Writing is first created in the heart, then polished and edited in your head. You might also call this right brain and left brain. 

William Wordsworth wrote, “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”  

In other words, writing has to begin with something you want to say, something you feel, or a story you want to tell. Those are the realms of the heart. 

This is why it is important to get a first draft down as soon as possible. The first draft is a heart draft. Don’t stop, don’t edit, don’t overthink it. Just write it down. 

When it is done, use your head to go back, edit, polish, and rewrite. 

The head and heart are both necessary. But it all begins with your heart, so don’t be afraid to let it show through.