68. "What is the difference between the way students write and the way professionas write?"

"What is the difference between the way students write and the way professionas write?

Easy question--here is the difference:

Average student: write it, hand it in

Above-average student: write it, edit it, rewrite it, hand it in

Exceptional student: write it, edit it, rewrite it, edit it, rewrite it, hand it in

Professional writer: write it, edit it, rewrite it, edit it, rewrite it, edit it, rewrite it, edit it, rewrite it, edit it, rewrite it, hand it in

Good writing is 20 percent inspiration and 80 percent cleanup."


From "Painless Grammar" by Rebecca Elliott, Ph.D., published by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.