h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thank you for this, Dmitri.

I wondered whether you needed to adopt different techniques, depending on what you're writing. If I'm writing a poem, I look at every word I've written and see if it could be improved. If you were writing a novel and aiming at, say, 100,000 words it would take you for ever to adopt that approach.

However, in both genres, I think you can use the rough first draft approach. When I write poetry, I may cover a page with bits and pieces, and gradually refine it. When you first write a scene, you chuck down whatever's in your head. It may be rubbish, but it gives you something to work on. Then you go back and rewrite it more carefully

(Incidentally, your mention of the EOD reminds me that, when I was working for the civil service, we called our deadline 'close of play'. Good old cricketing metaphor.)

Thanks for that phrase. I'd never heard that.

Yeah, I think you're right. Whatever your genre or form, just map it out, go back, and refine what you've got.

With an essay or short story, I try to get from point a to point b, then go back and see if I can tweak the journey a bit. Often, a sticky place turns out to be fixable by changing a word or phrase.

Then, when it does what you wanted it to do, stop. Move on.