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One Writer's Process

You probably don’t get to school in a single step. You have to follow a process to get from your bed to your desk. And you don’t eat lunch in a single gulp! Most things that are worth doing are done in a series of steps.

Writing is no different. You can’t go from initial assignment to polished final draft in one stroke of the pen. No, it’ll take many pen strokes or keystrokes. And a great first draft is usually a pretty poor final draft. The writing process lets you cut out what’s bad and make what’s already pretty good—actually great!

In this chapter, we’ll watch Olivia take those many steps from an initial assignment to a final published piece. You might follow a similar process—or one all your own!