One of my graduate professors said that writing is made up of two parts: 20% original thought, and 80% rewriting that original thought. That is why we turn in “Zero Drafts”. These submissions don’t even count as first drafts. Uggh. No one enjoys rewriting. Yet this is the ingredient that separates good writers from great writers. So what do we mean by rewriting? Maybe this will help:
“Sentences are like just-caught fish: spunky today, stinky tomorrow.”
–Anonymous
What sounds good the first time written may not have the same pizzazz the following day. Rewriting starts with rereading. Reread your work (preferably out loud) after you write it. Pretend you are in the shoes of someone who just happens to pick up your work, having no previous knowledge of your subject. Do you have to explain a paragraph’s meaning out loud in order for it to be understood? Then rewrite it the way you just explained it out loud. Conciseness is your friend. Max Lucado said,
“Summarize the entire book into one sentence. All other paragraphs must pay homage to that sentence.”
This, my fellow writing friend, takes work. And work means revisions. (aka, rewriting!) And yet, rewriting is not quite enough on its own … Enter the editor.
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