First Drafts Need To Simmer A Bit

Yesterday, the post was about proofreading, a task none of us particularly enjoys. We'd much prefer writing the first draft and shipping it to an editor quick as a bunny jumps across a woodland path. It might be our preference, but that doesn't work very well as many find out through experience.

A better way is to write the first draft and leave it alone for several days. Let it sit untouched. Meanwhile, you do other things and forget about that piece of writing. Go for a walk to search for the first signs of spring. We who live in wintery places are seeking those initial signs with gusto. Clean your house. Go shopping. Work on some other writing project. Do whatever you would like, but let that draft you saved in a file sit and simmer for days or a week, even longer if you get extra busy. 

I guarantee that, when you start to proofread and edit, you will see so much more than if you started editing as soon as you finished the draft. Little errors will stand out. If you do your proofreading and editing right away, you're bound to skip over many of them. 

Is it hard to wait before you edit? For some people, it's quite difficult. I've always been a 'do-it-now' kind of person. I had to learn to let that first draft age a bit. Several days ago, I wrote a poem that I plan to sub to my online writing group. My first inclination was to submit it right away and let the group do the editing for me. I realized it wasn't fair to send something so raw. Instead, I saved it in a file and I haven't looked at it since. I have thought about it but left it alone. Later today, I'll proofread and do some editing and then send my poem to the group for critique. 

When I was learning the craft of writing, I wrote the first draft, did a quick edit and called it done. It is no wonder that the rejections came tumbling back to me. My mantra became take your time, Nancy. After I allowed myself to let that first draft sit a while before I tackled it again, I began to get a few acceptances. I realized that it was most certainly worth taking more time. 

If you let that piece rest for several days, you might think of something more to add to it. If you worked on it immediately, that new thought might not enter your mind. Another good reason to wait.

As my regular readers know, one of my two keywords is patience. Be patient and don't tackle that first draft immediately. You'll become a stronger writer if your time.