"Writing is rewriting. To fall in love with the first draft to the point where one cannot change it is to greatly enhance the prospects of never publishing."
I had to read this a couple times to let it seep in. I thought, "Of course I'll love my book" then I saw first draft and turned up my nose...who loves their first draft? EWWWW.
I suppose there are gifted writers out there who could write something in their first attempt that would move me to tears...but I'm not one of them! Anticipating many, many drafts over here!
In the workshops I teach I've seen this phenomenon and it's not pretty--then with some of my writer friends it's the opposite--they never stop rewriting!
Ah, yes. First-draft love. I think it's the feeling I get when I'm writing that first draft that makes me fall in love with the story, but as I'm reading through for a second draft, I realize I also want to fall in love with the words, the style, and prose, and there's no way for me to get that right when I'm worried about plot and character development.
9 comments:
I had to read this a couple times to let it seep in. I thought, "Of course I'll love my book" then I saw first draft and turned up my nose...who loves their first draft? EWWWW.
I suppose there are gifted writers out there who could write something in their first attempt that would move me to tears...but I'm not one of them! Anticipating many, many drafts over here!
In the workshops I teach I've seen this phenomenon and it's not pretty--then with some of my writer friends it's the opposite--they never stop rewriting!
Let's hear it for revisions!
That's why I take a while before I go edit a first draft, you have to get over your love for it so you can hack it to bits.
I always confuse that guy with the Alex Cross guy. James Patterson I think?
Great quote though!
Ah, yes. First-draft love. I think it's the feeling I get when I'm writing that first draft that makes me fall in love with the story, but as I'm reading through for a second draft, I realize I also want to fall in love with the words, the style, and prose, and there's no way for me to get that right when I'm worried about plot and character development.
Good quote!
That's exactly what they told us at the conference last week. Excellent quote.
Great quote, thanks for sharing it!
Blessings,
Karen :)
True dat! Truer words were never spoken!
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