Writing is hard.

Why is it that the best word flow only happens when no pad, pen or Notebook PC are handy?

How many nights do you lie awake as brilliant ensembles drift across your mind’s sky, only to be lost forever?

Not flawless ensembles…but ones worthy of jotting down.

The old bedside table trick. It’s usually too late by that time. You’ve woken up, discovered where you are, told yourself you should be asleep, fumbled around (dropped your phone) woke the dog, and the evening edition’s perfect copy has vanished beneath the memory foam.

For me, it happens at the hairdresser, in the supermarket aisles – Pulitzer prize winners storm me like asteroids. (OK, slight exaggeration.)

The great thing is that words create words. You just need that first slippery one pressed into your paper, a theme to string you along, some kind of crazy metaphor to give your theme credibility, and you are on your way.

I love that.

Then, once you’ve extracted all available brain matter down to the pith, threaded together the highlights of your vast vocab into a spectacle of informative, educational or humorous prose, it’s time to sit back and take stock of your creation.

“Wow! I’ve nailed my first draft perfectly.”

Said no one ever.

You’ve only just planted the seed; the foundations are there, your story has a being, now it needs a compelling intro, an ending, and smack bang in the middle it needs personality, substance, life, and drama.

Ok, back to work.

Editing. Proofreading. More editing. And on it goes. Hone in on your topic, rewrite your rewrite. Backspace, new paragraphs. Move paragraphs so they flow – remove redundant words – chop, carve up and slice your prose to pieces. Long sentences, short sentences. Hold no hostages; only the worthy words shall survive.

Listen out loud to the rhythm of your work, swap words to make them sing louder than the last to resonate that message you sincerely want to get across. After all, that’s what you’re here for.

At the end of the day, your story needs to be clear and authentic. Whether it takes three edits or a full rewrite – writing efficiently is great, but not at the expense of quality or accuracy.

If all else fails, take heed from one of the greats:

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” Ernest Hemingway.

KS x