The Benefits of Writing Multiple Drafts for Essays

I used to hate writing multiple drafts. It felt like busywork—why write the same thing over and over when I could just get it right the first time? But after years of struggling with messy, unfocused essays, I finally admitted something to myself: no one, not even the best writers, gets it right on the first try.

The first draft is never the real essay. It’s a rough sketch, a pile of words that sometimes don’t even know where they’re going. And that’s okay. The real work happens in the second, third, and maybe even fourth draft.

First Drafts Are for Figuring Out What You Think

When I start a first draft, I don’t actually know what I’m trying to say. I might have a thesis, a few ideas, some half-formed arguments, but they don’t fit together yet. Writing the first draft isn’t about perfection—it’s about discovery.

This is where people get stuck. They expect their first draft to be structured, polished, and clear. But clarity doesn’t come from thinking really hard before writing. It comes from writing through the mess.

Why Second Drafts Are Where the Real Writing Happens

The second draft is where I actually see what I’m trying to say. This is where I realize:

• That paragraph I spent an hour on? It doesn’t belong.
• My thesis isn’t as strong as I thought—it needs more nuance.
• I repeated the same idea three times without noticing.

I used to resist deleting big chunks of my writing. It felt like throwing away work. But I’ve learned that cutting words isn’t losing progress—it’s refining it. Every time I remove something unnecessary, the argument gets sharper.

The Myth of “One Perfect Draft”

I blame school for making people think they should get things right the first time. So many assignments are set up as: research, write, submit. No room for iteration, no space to experiment.

But real writing isn’t like that. Even professional authors rewrite their work over and over. Why would an essay be any different?

I’ve had friends ask me about custom essays for college students, thinking that maybe having someone else write a polished paper for them would be easier than struggling through multiple drafts. And sure, that might get them a finished product—but it skips the part where they actually learn how to shape an argument. Writing multiple drafts isn’t just about improving one essay. It’s about getting better at thinking.

Editing Versus Rewriting

One mistake I made early on was confusing editing with rewriting. Editing is about fixing grammar, improving word choice, making sentences flow better. Rewriting is about rethinking the structure, sharpening the argument, sometimes even scrapping entire sections.

When I write a second draft, I don’t just tweak sentences—I ask:

• Is my argument clear, or am I just assuming it makes sense?
• Does each paragraph build on the last, or are they just sitting next to each other?
• Am I actually saying something, or am I just filling space with fancy words?

The Freedom of Letting Go of Perfection

The more drafts I write, the less pressure I feel to get everything perfect at once. If the first draft is terrible, that’s fine. That’s what it’s supposed to be.

I’ve noticed this mindset shift helps in other areas too. In marketing, for example, there’s always pressure to get things exactly right on the first try—campaigns, branding, messaging. But I was reading about challenges in marketing education, and one of the biggest struggles students face is fear of getting things wrong. They’re afraid to test ideas, to experiment, to iterate. But real creativity comes from trial and error. Writing is the same way.

When to Stop Revising

Of course, you can’t rewrite forever. At some point, you have to call it done.

I know a draft is finished when:

• I’ve fixed all the weak points in my argument.
• The writing is clear without being overworked.
• Editing starts to feel like moving words around without real improvement.

That last one is key. If I’m just rearranging sentences, it means I’m not making it better—I’m just avoiding hitting “submit.”

The Real Benefit of Multiple Drafts

Writing multiple drafts has changed the way I approach essays. But more importantly, it’s changed how I think.

I don’t just write to finish an assignment anymore. I write to understand, to challenge my own ideas, to push myself to say something that actually matters. The best essays don’t happen in one sitting. They evolve. And the more drafts I write, the more I realize—writing isn’t about getting it right the first time. It’s about getting it better every time.