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| Photo credit: Léoo on Flickr |
Now don’t get me wrong—I still love first drafting for all
of the same reasons and more, but over time I’ve come to realize that first
drafting is no longer my favorite part of writing: revision is.
It feels like a strange confession considering it wasn’t
that long ago that I was still trying to teach myself to learn to love the editing process, but I can honestly say that my view on a process that I once
dreaded has changed entirely.
Because yes, the discovery process is easily one of my favorite
aspects of writing, and I love meeting new characters and worlds with new rules
and norms, but there’s something even more satisfying about diving into the
story and really getting to know everything about it. I love learning all about
my characters and watching them come to life on the page a little more after
each revision. I love taking a rough draft full of potential and excitement and
carving it into something better—into a fully realized story with depth and
nuances and characters and situations brimming with so much energy that they
feel real.
I love writing. And I adore revision because it reminds me
of why I love writing so much in the first place. It reminds me that all of the
time and effort I’ve put into this WIP is worth it, because I can see my work
improving before my very eyes.
So while for me, first drafting is fun, revision has become
even more exciting. And that’s fine by me.
Let the discussion begin: What is your favorite part of the writing
process and why?
