My Writing Process is Mine

I didn't understand why writers don't share their messy first drafts until I logged onto Twitter.

Photo from Author

I remarked to a friend how strange it was that famous writers don't share the first drafts of their best-selling novels or talk about their novels in progress as they write them. We love before and after photos of home makeovers. So why don't we see before and after versions of our favorite novels?

We don't see Steven King's notes scribbled on a bar napkin or his first chapter with track changes. We don't know which background characters made their way into the forefront of the novel during revision unless we read his memoir.

We don't know what happened behind the scenes because most writers don't share their scratch notes or rejected drafts. And why would they? Readers want to read the paperback version with a plot that makes sense.

I didn't understand why writers don't share their messy first drafts until I logged onto Twitter — I know now.

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