I usually produce a first draft from an original idea and outline document. Then I read it through as critically as I can, which is always harder with your own work, and make any changes I think I need. Rinse and repeat...
For preference, I like to leave each draft for at least a couple of days before revision, to give myself a little distance from the work, but sometimes I'm just too excited by the story. Anyway, the first revision always turns up a load of obvious problems, even when I leap straight into it.
One of the things that always need attention when I do that first edit is to cut out duplicated story elements, usually background info. I have a tendency to put the same facts in two or three times, then decide where it works best during the revision process.
Once I have something that I think reads nicely and pulls its weight as a story, I submit it for critique...
And that's when I find out all the problems I missed. Many of which seem embarrassingly obvious once someone points them out.
After that, I consider all the critique comments and suggestions and try to rewrite the story again with those in mind. Of course, you should never just use critique as a set of instructions for how to redraft a story, so not all of them get any attention paid in the new version, but having asked for opinions, It's always worth having a good hard think about which ones you're going to make use of, if any.
After that, I do the read through and revise thing again.
« Last Edit: May 17, 2015, 09:55:28 AM by SpareInch »
Fresh slush - Shot this morning in the Vale of COW