Writing is Rewriting

Professional writers know that writing is rewriting. Publishable work oftentimes bears no resemblance to its original draft because so much rewriting has taken place. Rarely does a writer publish work without considerable editing and redrafting effort. Beginning writers, however, often avoid this painstaking work. Instead, they become so attached to their words that they are often reluctant to change more than punctuation marks or minor rearrangement of words. Professional writers tear into their work, often abandoning first drafts and starting again or completely reworking first drafts until they are but a bare remnant of the original. They understand that this is necessary to good writing and they do not become attached to their words. Words are your tools as a writer and you must be willing to use them effectively to get the job done. This often means abandoning altogether a phrase or passage you are particularly fond of simply because it doesn't work in the overall piece. It means being willing to accept that you need to start over with a completely different focus or slant. Sometimes it means your idea needs to be thrown out completely because it's an unworkable idea. Being willing to rewrite extensively and learning that nothing you write is sacred or above being edited will serve you well as a writer and will help you become the most skilled and effective writer you can be.