Legal Writing

Good writing depends on good revising. To many of us, this truth comes as a surprise. Because we don't think of writing as a process that can be managed like any other business process, we imaging that good writers produce good writing the first time and therefore don't have to revise.

In fact, some research shows that good writers revise more, not less, than ordinary writers. Such research is backed up by the experience of many professional writers. Historian Paul Fussell once reported, "Crappy work I do twice, good work I do three times." And American novelist John Dos Passos raised the bar even higher when he said, "I do a lot of revising. Certain chapters six or seven times."

This week, as you write, try to spend more time revising than you usually do. (If you think you don't have the time, steal some from your drafting.) Your writing will be more effective.