Why it’s important to have a full drafts folder

Do you look at a draft folder that’s full and become overwhelmed? Do you see it as projects that may never be finished? What if there was another way to look at it? I look at a full drafts folder and see potential! For me, there are two great benefits of having a ton of drafts waiting to be published.

It will keep your fears at bay

What do writer’s fear the most? Running out of ideas! But when I see over 40 drafts in my folder, it reminds me that I have a ton of ideas! And even if I haven’t come with a new idea lately, I still have several things to write about until I do come up with a new post idea. This takes a ton of pressure off, which actually makes it easier to come up with ideas.

Another fear I have – getting behind in blogging. I know that this is a self-imposed fear because there is no rule that says how often I should post. But I have set myself a goal of posting three times a week. And when I have several drafts, I know that I have plenty of material for the blog. I want my blog to be fun, not a chore, so having lots of drafts takes the stress out of blogging.

It speeds up the writing process

Lauren at Elle&Co suggests that you outline all your posts when you put them in the drafts folder. I was only half doing this. Sometimes all I would have would be the post title, any notes about the post would be in my phone or on a random piece of paper somewhere. But now I put in all the points I want to make in my post, as well as a reminder about any anecdotes I want to tell.

This has really sped up my writing process. I pick a post from my draft folder, and then just start writing. I don’t have to rack my brain trying to remember what I wanted to say, or search all over for my notes. Since the process is more simple now, I look forward to writing more than I ever have.

What about you? Do you enjoy having a full drafts folder? Do you find it overwhelming? Any tips on drafting? Let me know in the comments!