A Draft Is Not a Book

A Draft Is Not a Book

 

Unless you’re Allen Ginsberg, “first thought While the famous beat poet had a knack for improvisational writing, he is the exception. Whether you consider writing “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings…recollected in tranquility,” or you look at it as more of an Audenesque, levelheaded craft, you’re going to want more than a single draft. In the same way a sketch is not a painting or a blueprint is not a building, a first draft of a manuscript is not a finished book.

Proofreading is Not Enough

Vladimir Nabokov, author of arguably some of the best books in the English language, said: “my pencils outlast their erasers.” In other words, Nabokov didn’t write a first draft and then simply proofread and trim down the writing. Instead, he spent time rewriting and rewriting and rewriting. After the first draft of a manuscript is finished, it takes more than a simple grammar check or rearranging of syntax to create a quality book. In most cases, it takes reworking and rewriting until the pieces of the literary puzzle fall into place.

In an interview with his Alma Mater’s magazine, legendary writer David Foster Wallace (read this blog post to see more of what he had to say about writing) described himself as a “Five Draft man.” And he meant it—Wallace wrote multiple drafts, even when he was working on a book that is included in the top ten longest novels in the English language he was churning out multiple drafts and rewrites. Proofreading for grammar and syntax issues is important—but only after a couple of drafts. The editing process requires more than spell-check.

One Percent Inspiration, Ninety-Nine Percent Perspiration

No matter how you get your inspiration for writing, it’s going to take a whole lot of hard work before you have a good book in front of you. Writing takes hard work, and hard work takes time. Patience, diligence, and dedication are crucial to realizing the initial vision behind any piece of writing.

Get Help with Editing and Ghostwriting

Whether you have an idea, a few sentences, a first draft, or are a few drafts in to a piece of writing, getting help from other writers and editors is imperative. Using skilled writers to realize your ideas vis-à-vis ghostwriting, or getting top notch editing in any stage—or draft—of the writing process can make all the difference between inspiration and realization.

The good news is: you can contact some of the best ghostwriters and editors in the business right here. If you want more information, you can take a look at our FAQ page or call us toll free at 1-844-997-4837 / (844-9-WRITER).

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