Lol, I know we’re laughing here, but, as in most funny things, there is an element of truth at the core of this. When I’m coaching an author who’s writing a memoir, I actually encourage them to put it all in the “dirty” first draft. The revenge. The anger. The name-calling. The outright slander. Mostly I have them do this at that stage because they need to be fully open creatively, and that’s tough to do if, at the same time, you’re also trying to censor yourself—even the material you know you should leave out. But, honestly, there’s no denying putting in the revenge material also provides a catharsis. Sometimes ya just need to get it out. (Looking at you, journaling!) Once all the author has released all that venom, I find they make sharper decisions on their next round of revisions about what to leave in and what to leave out.

Ideally, you’ve started with your reader’s needs in mind even before you begin writing (this reader-first work takes place when you’re outlining). Then your first draft (ugly draft, dirty draft, vomit draft, etc.) is for “here’s what I want to say” without having to think much about your reader because they are already baked in. Your next draft (the rough draft) is where you decide “Okay, now how do I want to say it?” This is a mix of taking what’s there and shaping it to present yourself the way you want to be perceived by your reader, along with meeting them where they are (language, word choice, tone, voice, etc.) After that, yeah, content/developmental editing, copy editing, production, packaging, etc. are all for the market--which, to be clear, is another word for your ideal readers.

@Rob Cole @Nicoleta Talle Here's what I usually recommend when this comes up when I'm working one-on-one with writers: Catalog and time your tasks. First, list your tasks. Could be things like: Find & Fix Typos Read aloud Revise the middle section of Chapter 2 Move the third bullet point in Chapter 7 to Chapter 4 Etc. The next couple of times you do each of these tasks, log how long it takes you. DON'T set an estimate on how long you think a task should take you. Simply write down your start time, then start on the task. When you've completed the task, write down your end time for that task. Also, be sure to log (precise or ballpark) any time spent doing things other than those tasks, either with your manuscript or distractions. Example: Find & Fix Typos Start: 9:05 am End: 9:37 am OT (other things): 6 min moving 3rd bullet point; 8 min scrolling TikTok (6+8=14 minutes) Do this at least three times for each task, and you'll start to get a general idea of how long each task realistically takes for you. You'll also get a sense of time you might be able to reclaim for the task by eliminating those things (manuscript-related or not) you spend on things that take you off a task. Hope this helps!

@Koli Cutler Sounds like you have a plan for moving forward. Interesting that your cover has influenced the content of your manuscript. Don’t often see that but, hey, there is no one right way to write a book. The only thing that matters is that it gets written!

@Gary Anderson Ah so more sales/marketing/production than writing. If nothing reveals itself as the obvious priority, that’s great! It means you can start anywhere. I suggested starting with the easiest of those to do. Early wins help build momentum.

Great question! Three very different nonfiction books that all spoke to me in one way or another: Stop Time by Frank Conroy - To this day, I still can't put into words why this memoir hit the way it did. And frankly, I'm afraid that if I could put it into words, it would lose its magic for me. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers - I mean, sarcasm in the title?! I'm in. And then it made me see how limitless a nonfiction book could be in the same but different way (if that makes sense) that Hunter Thompson, Joan Didion, Gay Talese, and Tom Wolfe did. So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport - Spent the whole time reading it going, "Yes, yes, yes!" and "Where was this book when I was at the starting line of my career?"