The first draft

Many people are practically frozen, caught staring at their blank computer screen. They break out into a cold sweat thinking about what they should write and how they should write it. Here are a few thoughts I have on the first draft of any short story or novel.
Before writing the first draft of any short story or novel, I like to know a little about my characters and what direction the plot is going to go in. For a short story this usually means a few notes jotted down, depending on how many scenes there are. For a novel, I usually make a rather detailed outline. Now this may not be the best approach for you, it's just what works for me. Although, if you have never tried making an outline before your first draft you might want to give it a try.
When I am working on the first draft, I already know the direction of the story by thinking it through and preparing an outline. To me this works best because I don't have as much re-writing to do. However, while writing the first draft, I don't let the mechanics of writing slow me down. I will write grammatically incorrect sentences and change and let the behavior of characters change at will. The first draft is the place to get the story down. You can refine it after you've finished the first draft. Just keep writing and get the story!
The logic behind writing the first draft this way is to get the story down without having to worry about any of the mechanics or nitty gritty items of writing. That can all come later.
That doesn't give you free reign to write a horrible first draft. You should always strive to write well. NO BAD WRITING! That's a mantra I use on a daily basis. As you can see here, it doesn't always work that way, but, I try.
Think about your first draft. Give the first draft direction and then just write your heart out until it is finished. Good luck.