One thing I’ve seen debated on the forums lately is whether or not writers need to rewrite their drafts.

Personally, unless you’re a perfect writer, I think you do. The rough draft-especially for me-is just my fingers vomiting onto the screen. This is where I get the actual idea onto paper and the chapters, etc written. Then I let it sit for a bit, then come back and give it a rewrite to tighten it (if necessary) before going into hard copy edits.

There’s nothing evil about rewriting something. Sometimes you need to in order for the finished product to be worth a damn. Don’t be scared to do that and don’t let the artistes in forums try to tell you it’s evil. Do what you have to do to make sure your novel is at a publishable quality.

And, once again, have fun!