Steven B. Frank
First draft advice: welcome your characters; let them wake you up in the middle of the night, visit you on your daily walk, surprise you in the shower—a great place to think. DO NOT WELCOME that voice in your head, or any other voice that says you can't write. Second draft advice: read your work out loud and listen for its rhythm; "omit needless words." (E.B. White). Third draft advice: listen to your (trusted) critics; react slowly and make only those changes that feel true to your story. Tenth draft advice (there will be at least ten): learn to let go.
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