The craft of writing first drafts and rewriting

The first draft of anything is shit,” said Ernest Miller Hemingway, the famous American 20th-century novelist.

He hit the nail on the head. Because for everyone who writes, whether it is a story, a book, an essay, a speech, a feature, a review, or a newsletter, the first draft is a bloated sack, with bulges and lumps in odd places, aka loads of extra and unnecessary words and grammatical errors. Fortunately, we all get sufficient time to shape it to perfection or as close as we can get to it before we send it out into the world.

“I am not a very good writer, but I am an excellent rewrite,” said James Albert Michener, famous for his Pulitzer Prize–winning Tales of the South Pacific. This thought must be resonating with most of us.

The first draft

What exactly is a first draft? It is just the writer scribbling away all the thoughts on the given topic or the story/novel one wants to write.

Before herding the thoughts, one can make bullet points about what he/she wants to include in the writing. These bullet points can be a single word or a sentence that can be elaborated into either a paragraph or a couple of paragraphs. The bullet points are read again, and additions and afterthoughts are included.

Now starts the actual writing of that first draft. Each bullet point is explained in a separate paragraph. Usually, first drafts of novels are left alone for a few weeks to give the writer the much-needed distance from the story, as distance is equal to clarity.

Sadly, professionals or students don’t get enough time to let the first draft marinate in its own juices. They need to file that feature pronto, or email that report ASAP or submit that dreaded essay by the end of the week.

In case of a shortage of time, the writer works on subsequent drafts quickly to make sense of their writing by shaping those words into a semblance of order. 

Each draft or read-through gives it a definite shape. These subsequent drafts are called rewrites. Rewriting is fun. As the basic model or skeleton of the story/ essay/ feature/ review/ speech is ready, it’s time to give it shape, refine and remodel it.

Taking a breather after the first draft (even a few minutes is sufficient due to the paucity of time) is because distance from our words gives us a fresh and better perspective about the first draft. Our thoughts get clarity. Our words gain a shape. The glaring plot loopholes stare at us.

With each rewrite, you must try to make your writing smooth. If it’s an essay, you must ask yourselves these questions:

Am I conveying my thoughts with the right words?

Am I doing justice to each point before moving on to the next one?

Am I moving from one point to another smoothly?

Am I lingering too much or spending too many words to clarify a point?

Have I left any argument/point unfinished?

Do my examples suit the theme? 

Check for spelling, grammar and punctuation. Especially words like great and grate, their and there, than and then, which many people mix up.

Check for consistency in spelling.

Process of refining

If it’s a novel we are writing, we must make the plot tighter, the scene transitions smoother, and the writing crisper.

There are some questions one can ask oneself after each draft.

1. Is my main character coming across as a cardboard cutout or believable? Am I making the main character more realistic with each draft?

2. Is my writing improving with each draft? Are there dull descriptions and long sentences that will bore the reader?

3. Is my conflict convincing enough to involve the readers till the last page?

4. Are my chapters ending on cliffhangers, which will make the reader unable to put down the book?

5. Have I resolved all the conflicts satisfactorily at the end?

6. Is the plot moving in a good space? It should be tightened.

7. Have I been able to convey the spirit/essence of the story effectively?

8. The final read is to check for grammar, spelling and consistency.

Yes, it’s extremely difficult to be objective when one tackles one’s own work. But only honesty can polish the manuscript and make it sparkle.

(The author is a Bengaluru-based
professional writer )