How did you hone your writing skills? Your writing is so magical and beautiful!

Hi! Oh, thank you so much! 

When I’m writing a first draft, I give myself a lot of liberty so the words will flow. If I try too hard to edit or focus on my craft while I’m drafting, the logical side of my brain will begin to kick in, and my creative, imaginative side will begin to dim. Which is not very productive when I’m trying to discover the story and get words on the page.

So, first drafts are for myself. I discover the bones of the story, the heart of my characters, and I let myself enjoy the process.

My second draft, though, is when I begin to measure scenes, plot holes, character motivations, etc. I’ll start cutting, adding, rewriting. My long first draft begins to get whittled and honed, and I start to see the shape of the novel, which is exciting.

My third and later drafts are when I truly begin to look at my language, my word choice, my descriptions. I am, by nature, a very visual writer; I love to describe things. Sometimes I describe too much, and I need to trim it down. Sometimes I don’t like how I previously described something, and I will take time to simmer on it, reworking the sentence, exchanging words until I find the one that clicks.

All in all, good writing is made from re-writing.