What Stage Are You At in Your Writing Process?
Whether you’re writing a short piece or a full-length book, knowing the answer to this question - and what it means for your writing – is crucial. Most of the below advice is aimed at people writing something book-length, but can also be used by people writing essays or other short pieces.
There are four stages of the writing process:
Pre-Writing – idea generation
Drafting – writing the first, messy draft
Revising – polishing and editing that draft, often several times
Publishing – putting your work out into the world
Many writers try to do more than one stage at once, which in itself can cause blocks. Different regions of our brains, and different skills, are required for each. Trying to do more than one at the same time causes us to get confused and lose energy. You might even need to do each at different times of day to find your optimal energy for the task at hand.
In the Pre-Writing Stage, you are just looking for ideas. You’re thinking up topics, figuring out what you want to write about. You may do some research, make some notes, make mind maps, brainstorm, etc. You’re figuring out the story you want to tell. What is it about? Who are the characters? What is the situation? What is the dramatic question? And so on.
Some writers want to rush through this stage and get to the writing, and end up coming to a screeching halt after 50 pages because they don’t know where it’s going and haven’t developed enough of the story to figure out how to put it together.
Others spend too much time on this stage, caught up in endless research or planning or outlining. Which one is the danger to you will depend on if you’re a “discovery writer” or pantser, or a “plotter.” Only you can judge the best balance for you between leaving room for discovery and knowing enough that you can move ahead with confidence that you’ll be able to reach The End.
Drafting is often best done quickly. You may want to go back and edit every little thing (and some writers can do this successfully) but it’s generally best to get the story out on the page. What you edit to death now may not even make it into the final story if you discover a new twist, character, etc. later on. You use a completely different part of your brain for editing vs. creating. Each have their place, but over-editing in the drafting stage can lead you to stall out and never finish.
Note that sometimes halfway through the first draft you realize the story you’re writing is so different from the original story you envisioned that you feel you need to go back and rewrite from the beginning in order to complete the draft otherwise the amount of revision will seem too much of a mountain to climb – plus the changes you need to make will influence the second half in profound ways. In that case, you’re still drafting more than editing.
In the Revision Stage, you are going through a series of steps to assess what changes are needed. You start with big-picture things: action arcs, emotional arcs, characters added or dropped, plot points added or dropped, does it make sense, does it tell a complete story, etc. Then you move into the next-level changes, honing dialogue, deepening emotions, adding nuances to the story itself. Then editing for clarity, overuse or incorrect use of words, etc. These revisions may take several passes to get right. And then you’ll want to give it to an editor, coach, or other knowledgeable person to look for things you missed. This is the nitty-gritty work of writing, polishing it to the point you’re happy enough to be proud if it’s published.
The Publication Stage means not just publishing, but all the work you do to get it ready for an audience: proofreading, formatting (if it’s an e-book), querying (if you’re seeking traditional publication), promotion, etc. This is the business end of writing. Many writers, being creative people, are not that jazzed by this stage, but it’s crucial if you’re going to put your work into the marketplace.
Often writers have a favorite stage – they love the possibilities and free-wheeling ideas of the Pre-Writing Stage. They love the hot cooking creativity of the Drafting Stage. They love the careful honing and shaping of the Revision Stage. Some even prefer the Publication Stage, where they are seeing the results of all their writing labor and hustling to find an audience.
Are there times when you might mix up these stages? Yes! When I’m working on a book, I sometimes go from Drafting back to idea generating, honing my ideas for the book as a result of things that arose from the drafting. I look to see how far I’ve strayed from my original vision, if there are new ideas that I need to develop, and so on. It’s my way of checking in with myself so I don’t feel too overwhelmed.
Some people would say that’s cheating, and a bad thing to do – that you should always slam your way through a first draft, and only then go back and generate new ideas. For me, it works to end up with a more cohesive first draft. I’m not editing (going back and changing things) just working out characters and subplots and plot points.
The other time I go back and forth is between Revising and Publishing. This is mainly if I’m querying a book, and get some advice or information that I might not have quite the right opening. Or maybe it’s too dark, or I can pump up the humor. You have to be careful making too many changes to suit one agent or editor’s taste, but if several people say the same thing, you might want to listen, and make some changes.
If you’re working on several projects, you may be at different stages with each. That’s great. I’m currently at Publication with one, and Drafting with another. This helps because when my brain needs a break from one, I can turn to the other, and come back refreshed. It also helps me remember that not everything hinges on one project.
If you’re in ANY of the stages, congratulations! You’re a writer. You’re doing what it takes to be successful, and that is what matters.
What stage are you in? Let us know in the comments!
