Hey there,
 
I’m Joan Dempsey, and I work with a lot of writers.
 
Lately, I’ve discovered that when it comes to revision, writers seem to fall into two camps:
 

1. Those who swear by the ‘shitty first draft’ (as Anne Lamott might say) – they get a draft done before even thinking about revision; and
2. Those who sheepishly admit they ‘revise at the point of composition’ (as Verlyn Klinkenborg espouses) – they revise while writing so that first draft is as polished as a twelfth.

 
Boy, are writers passionate about their chosen camp!
 
In a recent online course I offered, nearly 1,000 writers weighed in on which revision strategy they believe is ‘correct’, and why they revise the way they do – here’s a summary:
 
Camp #1 (The Shitty First Draft)

• When I get a new story idea I have to get it down fast – I’m in panic until I capture the idea!
• Every piece of writing advice I’ve heard says this is the way to do it – write first, revise later.
• If I stopped to revise as I wrote, I’d get about two pages done in a year!
• By writing without an editor looking over my shoulder, I can keep myself from freezing up.

 
Camp #2 (Revise as You Write)

• I can’t bear to overlook a comma splice or a poorly chosen word when I’m writing – I have to fix it immediately.
• I think that every opportunity to write is an opportunity to write well, so why practice crappy writing, just for the sake of speed? 
• Writing is rewriting, so why wait?
• I love to perfect each sentence as I go, and then each chapter, and then …

 
Which camp do you fall into, and why? (Shoot me an e-mail – I read every one.)
 
The truth is, both methods work just fine.
 
Neither is ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’.
 
In the end, one way or another, you’ll have a finished piece.
 
They key is to find out what works best for you.
 
To that end, I offer a free monthly e-newsletter - Revise with Confidence: Self-Editing Resources for the Serious Creative Writer –
that will help you discover new revision tips so you can improve your writing.
 
Each month you’ll get the newsletter, which features the following sections in every issue:

• Revision Tip
• Book Recommendation
• Grammar Tip
• Inspiration from Twitter
• Notable Quote
• News about Recent Revision Resources and Upcoming Online Revision Courses

 
It’s important to me that I help you discover what works best … for you!
 
Join me, and sign up today for the free Revise with Confidence e-newsletter.
 
To your writing!
Joan
 
Joan Dempsey
joan@literaryliving.com