Great Advice from a Pro


Great advice on the writing process:
The axiom is: You can’t do everything in one draft.The corollary: Pick one aim for each draft and do that only.After I’ve finished the first draft of a book, I’ll do another just to be sure the stakes are high and clear. I’ll do one after that, focusing only on the theme.Sometimes a draft can go very fast. I’ll ask myself, What are the turning points in this story? Then I’ll go through the whole piece, making sure that each one is where it’s supposed to be and that each one is working.I’ll do one draft only on the villain.Then another, working strictly on rhythm.Suppose I read through the manuscript and decide it’s 15% too long. The next draft I’ll do nothing but cut.....

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