I began my time as a writer for the Owl Post at the start of my junior year and became the Chief Copy Editor at the end of my first semester. I spent most of my time in the class seeing the very first, unfiltered, raw versions of stories. Some of those stories were better than others, but nearly all of them needed revision. 

What I want to leave you with is that those first drafts are necessary. 

Some of the best writers I’ve worked with, and some of the best pieces I’ve edited, started out less-than-great. The stories had missing commas, incorrect AP Style choices and awkward sentences. But after edits, long conversations and a whole lot of patience, they improved. 

In writing, and in everything that you do, the first version is rarely the final version. Growth happens when you are willing to work at something. Whether it is in the newsroom, a relationship, school, or figuring out who you are as a person, you are allowed (and honestly, encouraged) to begin imperfectly. Retrying things and asking for help does not indicate failure—it shows that you are on your way to improvement. 

High school is at the beginning of your life. This  is essentially your first draft. You are still writing your story. Chances are, you don’t know who you want to be yet.

What matters is that you keep writing. But be willing to mess up. What I have learned in Newspaper is that the people who are willing to revise the most end up creating the best stories.