Why revise?

Why revise?

The first draft is for you—it’s an experience of exploration, discovery, and play. The revised manuscript is for your reader, because publication is a form of communication.
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Initially, we revise out of a desire to make the work better—clearer, more compelling, beautiful, meaningful, and satisfying—but revision is also rewarding for the writer.

The shift from writing for yourself to writing for a reader demands a huge change in perspective. In revision, you become a reader. This is part of what makes revision fun—in revision you get to see what you have made.

In revision your understanding of the work will be transformed, and so will you.
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Next time: How to begin a writing project