Elsewhere, we have written about the qualities of draft -1, draft 0, and draft 1. We offer these because starting to write can feel very different day-to-day, and sometimes minute-by-minute. Before we explore the natural extension of this series—draft 2 and beyond—let’s recap.
The Inner Game of Drafting
Draft -1 is where you start on the hardest days, when there are factors actively undermining your writing effort. The goal for draft -1 is to just do anything. Any kind of activity related to the writing will do: it doesn’t matter if it’s clear, in words, in images, or in doodles. Draft 0 is where you start when you don’t have any momentum, but aren’t actively struggling. The goal for draft 0 is to write something to rough completion, without the nattering of the editor-brain or worries for the future. in draft 0 you write for yourself. Draft 1 is where you start when you have some inner momentum—a compelling idea, a fascinating kernel, or the good kind of deadline pressure. The goal of draft 1 is to make something passable to your ideal reader.
Draft -1 and draft 0 are often called the pre-writing stage in distinction to writing. We choose to emphasize the continuity between writing and pre-writing, because the real secret of patient, persistent, and productive writing is the skill of shifting between these three modes as circumstances dictate. Just as the experienced driver shifts gears as needed, so writers should have these different modes of engagement in their toolbox. If the writing is going well, we might upgrade to draft 1 mode. If the writing is hitting a rough patch, maybe dropping to draft -1 is a way to keep engaged with the inner game of writing. The bigger your writing project, the more indispensable these skills become.
Beyond Draft 1
Many people think of making a fairly coherent draft as being done with the writing. Sadly, the difference between an OK piece of writing and a good piece of writing is most often drafting. Depending on context, re-drafting may take up most of the effort of the project. Even in areas of writing where the cultural scripts around inspiration and the value of raw, unedited writing predominate, re-drafting is actually the norm.
What is the difference between draft 1 and draft 2? The key thing about draft 2 is that it feels like re-doing a project already done. You’ve hit that natural stopping point already, so some part of you will resist revisiting the piece.
What about the difference between draft 2 and draft 3? The differences between multiple drafts become less distinct at this point in writing, but a few general features seem to hold.
First, the more drafts we do, the more writer-brain recedes and editor-brain comes to the fore. The critical thoughts you needed to put aside to write the piece are now essential for getting the details right.
Second, the higher the draft count, the more we are editing our material to fit with our imagined audience. For many of us, this also causes some anxiety. There is also the problem that across multiple drafts our intended audience might shift. Keep an eye out for that.
Third, the more drafts we write, the more we will feel like we have absolutely no interest in this piece of writing, no matter how we may have felt about it at the beginning. There’s a joke in academia: you’re ready to submit a paper when you hate it with all your being. This is not that far from the truth. The more you draft, there more will end up with a piece of writing that reads well, but that you will kind of hate.
In the Depths of Later Drafts
Losing interest, connection, and vitality in the writing project as you re-draft is completely normal. In fact, it’s a cue that you might be nearing completion. There is, towards the end of the writing process, a temptation to give up on the project just before it’s ready. During this difficult phase, we have to tap into perspiration because inspiration is not available.
There isn’t much actionable advice for this stage. Try to give yourself some sleep cycles between drafts. If you draft too quickly, you may not be maximizing the effect of having fresh eyes on your writing. Accept and commit to the grind that the last few phases of drafting involve. Perhaps remind yourself, if you can, of why you started this writing project in the first place. Chances are that by this point, the lack of interest is concealing a basic sense of efficacy. While in earlier drafts you may have been trying to figure out the main point of your writing, in later stages you know your main point and fiddling with the details of how to convey it.
The unfortunate truth is that falling out of love with the piece of writing is almost inevitable with re-drafting. That said, the grind can be rewarding, at least some of the time. Being able to re-draft effectively is a rare skill, and it helps writing stand out. Of course, everyone has a natural stopping point for re-drafting. Editors can help when you hit that wall.