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Q&A Is writing three drafts really necessary?

Write three drafts? In my 54-year career, I've written technical reports, technical manuals, a PhD dissertation, and now fiction, and if I could have done any of them in only three drafts, I would...

posted 6y ago by flounder‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T10:54:23Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/42283
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar flounder‭ · 2019-12-08T10:54:23Z (almost 5 years ago)
Write three drafts? In my 54-year career, I've written technical reports, technical manuals, a PhD dissertation, and now fiction, and if I could have done any of them in only three drafts, I would have been extremely happy. My first novel (started in 2008) is in its 51st draft. Not complete rewrites, but enough changes to constitute a new revision. So what's the problem with doing only three rewrites? Doesn't sound like much of a burden to me. A truly expert writer might be able to write everything down and it will be perfect. For the rest of us, six to eight drafts might be required as an optimal goal. My third novel is now in its 16th draft. One of these days, I will stop revising and start submitting.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2019-02-17T04:54:56Z (almost 6 years ago)
Original score: 3