Chad Schomber

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You’ve probably done it.

You start with an idea. A scene. A character. A point you want to make.

Then you begin writing.

A sentence leads to another sentence. An observation reminds you of something else. A new thought appears halfway through a paragraph.

Before long, you’re not really writing anymore.

You’re thinking.

The words are helping you discover what you mean.

That’s completely normal.

In fact, many professional writers work this way.

The mistake is assuming the reader needs to witness the entire search.

They don’t.

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Imagine a gold miner.

The miner might move tons of dirt to find a few ounces of gold. But nobody buys a truckload of dirt because it happened to contain gold at one point.

The dirt gets removed.

The gold remains.

Writing works the same way.

Drafting Is Discovery

Many new writers believe good writers sit down and immediately produce clear, powerful prose.

Here’s a secret. They don’t.

They write questions.

They follow interesting thoughts.

They wander. (Ask me about S.O.A.P)

Sometimes they don’t know what they’re trying to say until the third page. Or 130th.

Sometimes the last paragraph reveals what the entire piece was actually about.

That’s drafting.

Drafting is exploration.

It’s the process of finding the idea.

Revision Is Finding the Point

Once you’ve discovered what you’re trying to say, your job changes.

Now you’re no longer exploring.

You’re editing.

You’re asking questions like:

• What’s the real point?
• Where does the article really begin?
• Which paragraphs helped me discover the idea but don’t help the reader understand it?
• What can I cut?

Many times the strongest sentence in a piece is hiding halfway through the draft.

Move it to the front.

Many times the first paragraph exists only because you weren’t ready to write the second one yet.

Delete it.

Readers don’t need the warm-up.

They need the performance.

An Example

First Draft:

“Often people write in a way such that they’re not really sure what they want to say next, so they continue writing and exploring the idea until eventually they arrive at a conclusion that perhaps wasn’t obvious when they started.”

Revised Draft:

“Many writers discover what they think by writing.”

Same idea.

Fewer words.

More clarity.

The second version feels more confident because the writer already knows where they’re going.

The Hidden Skill

A lot of people think strong writing comes from having a large vocabulary.

Or mastering grammar.

Or learning complicated techniques.

Those things help.

But the important skill is recognizing the difference between thinking and communicating.

Thinking is messy.

Communication is organized.

Your first draft can be messy.

Your final draft shouldn’t be.

A Simple Exercise

The next time you finish an article, story, or essay, ask yourself:

“What am I really trying to say?”

Say the answer out loud, then write the answer in one sentence.

Now compare that sentence to your opening paragraph.

If the sentence is stronger, clearer, or more interesting, consider starting there instead.

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I hope you found this article at least a little helpful. You’re doing great. Have fun writing your first few drafts. Yes, it takes more than one to get it done. ← That was your secret tip.