Previous draft: 55,479 words
New draft: 42,126 words
I love to revise, to dig deep and make the story better. It's terrific fun.
A few years back there was a much discussed debate on process between Jennifer Armstrong (follow your head) and Nancy Werlin (follow your heart) in the pages of Horn Book.
That's oversimplified, but you can read their full comments at the links above.
We're all probably hybrids in terms of our approaches. But the one thing that's clear is that being open to to revising, learning, and growing is essential. You have to push yourself and accept that it's hard sometimes but also a joy.
