The secret architecture of great essays
You write the first draft for yourself, but you write the second draft for a stranger.
So maybe essays always start through some idiosyncratic, non-formulaic, mysterious big-bang, but since readers—by nature of being human— have shared features like curiosity, memory, attention, and linearity, there’s a science in how to make your ideas... See more
So maybe essays always start through some idiosyncratic, non-formulaic, mysterious big-bang, but since readers—by nature of being human— have shared features like curiosity, memory, attention, and linearity, there’s a science in how to make your ideas... See more
Michael Dean • The secret architecture of great essays
Process is for the writer. The end product is for the reader. For the writer, your process is what gets you there: in the mood, in the flow, immersed in the feelings and the subject matter. But the reader never knows that you had 2 cups of coffee and then put on your favorite Chopin piece. They only know what the finished essay looks like. That’s why the first draft is for you—to embrace your flow. The edits are where you take responsibility for making sure the reader understands.