Young Writers Society

Yo, yo, yo!

Welcome to the back passage. Ha ha. So I hope you haven't got bored of me yet, I think we are at the midpoint now, so if you have come this far, you can make it the rest of the way with me. So get ready for a bumpy ride losers. I would like to make a note before I continue this chapter; and this is to say that to any of my readers who find the language I use offensive... you can fuck off. Ha ha ha. I am not here to impress anyone with fancy language. I am here to give you cold hard facts and if you want me to tone down the colourful language then I say... no because I am not a wanker.

Now to the main point.

Why is it important to have three drafts of your work I hear you cry! Well like I say, I am not making any rules here. But I am going to start off with an example.

Firstly, the famous one: back to the JK Rowling example in which, she had to change the name she used on the front of the manuscript so that her novel would appeal to boys as well as girls. Now this is just a little thing about making significant changes. And it makes all the difference.

Now myself for example, the first novel I ever wrote (which has remained unpublished through choice, I might add) went through a hell of a lot of editing, because I was reading it back, I realised it was complete rubbish.

“You will never say things as you mean to say them the first time you say them.”

Drafting is about fiddling with meaning. And each time you write a new version of something the meaning changes. I can give you a worked example of this, using a line I played about with a lot in my first novel.

The opening line, which incidentally, I shall be talking about the importance of in another chapter. But, I am digressing, so…

1. “Neil gazed at the octopus under the stars.” This was the first draft. The first thing I wrote.

2. “Sexy Neil pondered the opportunities that awaited him and the octopus that evening.” The second draft example.

3. “Completely fixated by the eight-legged creature in front of him, the man submersed himself in the cool water, under the cold, night’s sky.” – Third and final draft.

You can witness the progression of this sentence here for yourself. Also note that the first draft line looks as though it has been written by a four year old. Not some of my greatest work, I might add.

The harsh reality about being a writer, as I have said many a time; to many people is this:

YOU WILL SPEND MORE TIME EDITING THAN YOU WILL ACTUALLY WRITING.

And, that is the way it’s supposed to be.

If you don’t like it, then hand trash to your publisher and expect never to get anywhere. The future’s bright kids.

Come back for the next Chapter on the Importance of Opening Lines.

Ciao!