There are few (very few) professional writers who do not rewrite, either on their own or to comply with an editor’s request. In fact, I personally know of only one—the prolific science-fiction author, Isaac Asimov—who insisted that his submissions be published without editorial changes. For the vast majority of professional writers, rewriting is an integral and important part of the writing process, not only to proofread and correct errors, but to assure that what they have written makes the kind of sense they originally intended.
The rewriting process allows you to correct grammar and punctuation, check word meanings, and spot common mistakes like doubled words (the the – said said, etc.) or repeating the same long word several times in close proximity. Unless you are an expert in English composition (and even sometimes if you are) you will probably find that your early drafts do not always convey your thoughts as clearly as you hoped they would.
If you are not educated in the mechanics of writing, don't despair. Many famous writers were not adept at the fundamentals when they first started out. Most beginning writers depend on "how it sounds," but just because something sounds wrong doesn't mean you will always know how to correct it. In these situations you can turn to reference books or to the Internet. Online dictionaries and Thesauruses abound (my favorite can be found at www.dict.org). For other questions, a simple search for, say, “capitalize [word]” will bring up dozens of answers. Just be sure that the source you chose is one of authority, such as a university website or a respected style book like The Chicago Manual of Style.
Unfortunately, as with fashion, the “rules” of style for various types of writing change over time. A good example of this can be seen in the use of commas. In days past, commas were used much more frequently than they are today. In some cases I see this as an improvement; in others, not so much. When writing non-fiction, adhering to current trends is probably a good idea, whereas in fiction, it’s more a matter of choice. If you read a lot of fiction you will see that punctuation and grammatical style vary widely, even among best-selling authors.
I never eliminate commas or other punctuation marks simply for the sake of reducing their number. My rule of thumb is: if punctuation of any kind unnecessarily impedes the flow of the prose, I remove it. On the other hand, if the intended meaning of a phrase becomes difficult for the reader to grasp without the punctuation, I leave it in. When punctuation (or the lack of it) makes me wonder what an author meant to say, I often find myself having to reread a passage, and that can become irritating. Creating beautiful prose is an admirable goal; but when you sacrifice clarity to achieve that beauty, the result can sometimes confuse the reader. My goal has always been to make whatever I write as clear and easy to understand as possible, because the last thing I want is to leave my readers scratching their heads.
Some folks scoff when I tell them I often spend many hours rewriting a single paragraph, but it’s true. Finding the perfect word or phrase to precisely convey my thoughts is of paramount importance to me, particularly when I’m writing about complex subjects or emotions my characters are feeling.
I would estimate that composing the first drafts of sentences, paragraphs, or chapters takes up only about 10% of the time I spend working on a novel. Another 15% is dedicated to research, character studies, and developing timelines (a reference that helps me remember when and where things happened). The bulk of my time—the remaining 75%—is spent correcting and rewriting. Some of this rewriting is done at the suggestion of half a dozen critical readers and editors, but most of it occurs before I allow anyone to see the manuscript.
To some aspiring writers, rewriting may seem like a chore, a burdensome and boring task that only prolongs the already lengthy process of preparing a piece of writing for publication. But most professional writers will tell you it is an absolutely essential part of the creative process, without which your chances of success will be reduced to near zero.
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