Stephen King says in On Writing that some of the best rewriting advice he ever received was from an editor's note:
Formula: 2nd Draft = Ist Draft - 10%. Good luck."
Where would you take it from if you had to cut 10% from your draft? What if you couldn't cut a big part of the story? Could you carve it out of your paragraphs or sentences?
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Seth Godin recently asked two questions in a blog post: "Who's it for? What's it for?" When writing, do you know who it's for? It doesn't have to be an audience with a capital "A." It doesn't have to be for any audience; it can be for just you. But
Most people can't have the whole story in their heads. Too many pieces, too many moving parts. That doesn't mean you must plan it out. Once your character's story takes shape, then begin. Allow yourself to be surprised and adapt, and let your imagination take you on a journey. That
Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon tells the story of a priest and woodcutter trying to understand a murder by listening to the testimonies of the multiple people involved. Ultimately, they struggle to find the truth amongst the lies. A similar type of story occurs within each of us. We tell ourselves multiple