Fleshing it out

So, I had this idea for a story ten years ago. I'm struggling to find ways to make all the ideals I had for this story work themselves out. I have another story idea that is less fairy-tale and more like my actual experiences. The latter has a wealth of dysfunction that should theoretically be more than sufficient to fuel an entire work from start to close. However, I'm bent on finishing this one. I've heard that "The first draft is always shit" - Ernest Hemmingway. Encouraging? Maybe.