Sunday, July 13, 2025

From First Draft to Publication


 I like the direction given in today's poster. It's so appropriate for writers. We start a thought process, get an idea, then try to write that first draft. This first writing is nothing more than taking the idea and enlarging upon it. We get our main thoughts down, but it's far from finished.

Instead, we redo that first effort, then do it yet another time, and maybe even one more. Each time you rewrite your original draft, you'll bring it to life by adding sensory details, description, and emotion.

Sounds easy, doesn't it? Any good writer will know that there is no easy way to enlarge upon that first draft. In that one, we are merely creating the bones of our story or essay. It's in those 'do and do again, and again' moments that we create a piece of writing that might be publishable. 

When you want to continue working on a first draft, do you start revising and adding to it immediately? If you do, you're shortchanging yourself. Let that first draft sit for a few days or even longer. Then, read it and you'll see more places where you want to add or take away than if you attempted it immediately after writing that first draft. Good writing should not be rushed.

When you've written two or three drafts, let it sit for a few days, then read it, but read aloud. Sound silly? Maybe, but you will be amazed at the little things you'll catch when you hear the words you've written. 

Sensory details bring your writing to life as description does, too. Emotion? Yep, putting emotion into your writing will bring emotion to your reader.  

Writing is hard work. Rare is the writer who has an idea, writes the story or essay once and can call it ready to submit for publication. For most of us, it takes a lot of time and redoing before we can say our work is ready for submission. The more effort we put into our writing, the more likely we will have some success. 

If you have a story or essay published, only you can read it in the publication and know exactly what it took to write a publishable piece. From first draft to publication can be a long road, but worth every step you take.

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