Most of writing is rewriting. If you're new to putting words on paper, you'll find this a hard "rule" to appreciate. I remember getting the words down and thinking, wow! ain't that perfect? The truth was a far cry from my beliefs and it took me a good long while to realize that when fellow writers and editors offered advice they were trying to help, not ridicule my efforts. Now, I find the joy in rewriting and making the story the best it can be.
Over at BookFox today I found a couple of posts that put the truth to these sentiments. The first is a post by Mr. Fox http://www.thejohnfox.com/bookfox/2010/06/being-wrong-in-fiction.html This one is about letting yourself be wrong and realizing that your first draft is going to be crap.
The second post had a link to an article about JG Ballard, the author of "Empire of the Sun". http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/mysterious-to-the-end-jg-ballards-daughters-reveal-his-secret-archive-1997337.html This article reminded me of something that Michael Bracken mentioned. Today's writers don't keep several drafts of their stories because with computers we just delete what doesn't work. I find that sad in a way because we're not privy to a writer's process anymore.
And lastly, after you realize you really do need to rewrite and take advice, here's an essay by Brit Mandelo over at Tor.com about taking advice. http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=59461
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