Writing Tip #1: Rough Drafts are Your Best Friend

Writing an excellent piece requires multiple drafts, so make your rough drafts your best friend! Constantly revise your piece, considering grammar, clarity, cohesiveness, and style.

Key editorial methods: 

1. Make edits directly to the first draft.

2. Create a new draft and rewrite, using your original train of thought as a template.

Additional tips:

• Don’t be afraid of creating something entirely new! 

• You can always keep your old drafts. They may even come in handy as puzzle pieces for a future poem. 

• It is good to maintain an emotional distance from a piece because experimentation and risk-taking leads to growth. 

• You may even end up with two new poems through editing and drafting! 

• Write down everything you think of. Anything can be expanded upon.

• Don’t be afraid to cut down words. Conciseness breeds precision of thought. 

• Check if there are any narratives missing from the poem. Have you given all the background necessary to express your theme? 

Suggested Reading:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/70305/the-warmth-of-the-messy-page 

Photo credit:

“The Warmth of the Messy Page.” The Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/70305/the-warmth-of-the-messy-page. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.