You might have heard this saying: writing is rewriting. What does it mean? It means that, no matter what you write, the magic is always in the second draft. Or the third, or fourth.
To a lot of people, that sounds boring. The entire self-publishing industry has been built on people unleashing their first drafts onto the world. But if you never edit your work, if you never rewrite, you’ll never produce your best work.
First Drafting Like a Boss
In my Entrepreneur’s Writing Crash Course I devote the entire last module to self-editing. Why last? Because it’s the skill that’s the hardest to learn. Before you can edit, you need to understand what you’re looking for. You also need to understand WHEN to edit. If you’re doing it as you go, obsessing over each sentence as you write it, you’re doing it the wrong way.
First drafts are wonderful things. Nobody apart from you should ever read them, so you’re free to throw down whatever you want. The idea is to just write. Start and keep going until you’re finished. It doesn’t matter if it’s terrible or perfect, because it’s only the beginning.
Think of it this way: the first draft is the paint primer. It sets the foundation. You still need to add a couple of coats of sky blue to make the room pop. That’s your editing stage.
How to Self Edit
You should be doing at least two editing passes for every piece you write. Until you’re more experienced, I’d like you to do three.
First, read through the piece from beginning to end and edit out anything obvious that jumps out at you.
Our second pass will be the most in depth. This is when you want to look very closely at every word to make sure they’re all correct and the best word you can use.
When you’re happy that you’ve caught all the traps, it’s time for the third pass. This time, I want you to read the piece out loud. You will likely pick up a few more things that need changing. If there are a lot, read the piece out loud again when you’ve fixed them.
When it sounds correct out loud, that’s when you know you’ve got the best piece you can write.
The Good News
This entire process becomes easier the more you do it. The more you edit, the more you learn… and the better your first drafts will eventually be. Like anything, it all comes down to practice. Stick with it, keep writing and rewriting, and you’ll make leaps and bounds with the quality of your work.
Need More Help?
The FREE Entrepreneur’s Writing Crash Course is designed to help you take your writing to the next level. Sign up below for the 6-week course (delivered via email), or see here for more information.
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