Just found out most first drafts are only 20% of the final word count

I was reading an old interview with Stephen King in The Paris Review and he said the first draft of 'The Stand' was way shorter than the final book. It made me stop stressing about my messy 50k draft, knowing it's just the raw material. Has anyone else had a draft balloon or shrink that much in edits?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant.sam12d ago

My last project doubled in size after the first draft.

james_kim12d agoMost Upvoted

That's actually super common from what I've heard. There's this idea that the first draft is just getting the clay on the table. The real work is in the next pass where you add all the detail and explanation. Makes sense your project would grow a lot once you start filling in the gaps. Heard a writer say the first draft is for you, and the next one is for everyone else. Sounds like you're right on track with that process, lol.

the_pat5d ago

Totally get that. My first book outline was supposed to be a short guide, maybe fifty pages. Ended up being a full two hundred page manuscript after I actually wrote it. You just see all the connections you missed when you start putting real words down.