From First Draft to Finished Piece: How to Create Writing That Sings

A blockbusting tool for generating new writing, plus revision steps to make it shine

from 123RF

Recently, I wrote an essay about my experience going to hear well-known author Pam Houston give a reading and taking a workshop with her the next day.

I share Pam Houston’s unique process for generating new writing and then structuring finished books out of those raw materials. You can read it here.

Pam Houston on Writing and Creative Process

This got me to thinking about my own generative process and how I go from generating new writing to creating a finished piece.

I rely on a host of different generative processes for creating new work, depending partly on the type of writing I am doing — poetry, essays or fiction — and partly on my desires and needs at the time. I like to have an ample toolkit to meet varying situations.

The best writing tool I know