I can hear you groaning. Hey, I groaned too. For years, actually. The first time my writing mentor grabbed his head in disbelief when I told him how many drafts a single book takes me (5-6), I couldn’t understand his distress. “Why do you torture yourself?” He asked. I was confused. Torture? Isn’t re-writing part of the writing process? Doesn’t every writer talk about it?

It took me a few years to understand that he was right (no kidding, he had multiple books as bestsellers on the New York Times list), and I was wrong.

I misunderstood him because I didn’t know any better. I was so much in love with my writing process the I was loath to let go and try something new.

It was only several years later when I met my writing partner that I finally saw what my writing mentor meant, and switched.

PAIN NO MORE!

I have fallen out of love with re-writing, and have fallen in love with planning. Figuring out story structure before I write down a single word.

So how about it? Where are you with your writing? Re-writing? Planning? Or something of both?

Gif by Nick Staab