I wrote this a couple of years ago, and thought I would
share it with fellow writers and would-be writers.
FIRST DRAFT:
I've been reading old issues of Writer's
Digest magazine. I've had varying degrees of success with that
publication, because some of the articles are useful to understanding the
process of writing, but often I'm left thinking that an idea might work for one
writer, but not for me.
I'm in agreement with the idea--told by more than one
writer--that even bad first drafts are fine, as long as the ideas are put down.
Writing is bashing it out, then going back in with an eye to simplify and most
important, editing. Cut, slash, pare down.
I have a tendency, being a stream-of consciousness type of
guy, to want to say too much, and that might lead to something else, and very
soon I've filled up a page with superfluous words that just hold the reader up
from getting my point. Ever do that? It's why things are done in first draft
form, so you can get it out of your system. One article in particular said when
comparing manuscripts that Hemingway stood out for his clean pages. Very few
changes were made in his hand. That's because he thought it out before he wrote
it. He did the editing in his head. Most of us aren't that skillful; for me,
personally, I have to have the words come out of my fingertips. I can think a
paragraph in my head, but until I'm looking at it in the form of typed words it
means nothing. Then I can go back in, and thank computers and word processing
for this, with my cursor edit everything out that doesn't need to be there.
Anyway, the writing process that works for me is idea,
execution, editing.
GOOD ADVICE FOR THE EDITING STAGE:
From “The Ultimate
List of Writing Tips,” no credit for the list, found on the Internet, but most
of it makes sense, especially Number 62: “Editing is everything. Cut until you
can cut no more.”
So I cut, and cut…and this is now the edited version of my
first draft you see above:
FINAL DRAFT:
Reading old issues of Writer's Digest
magazine, I'm in agreement with the idea that even bad first drafts are fine.
Writing is bashing it out, then editing. The writing process that works for me
is idea, execution, editing.
A POSTSCRIPT: If you are being paid by the word, disregard
all of the above advice.
