Conversation

#writerscoffeeclub for February 12:

What percentage of your first draft ends up in the trash?

This is like asking "when you cook a potato, how much peel ends up in the trash". It depends on how you're cooking the potato.

I've sent first drafts to print with merely minor copy editing. I've thrown whole projects out after the first draft.

There is no 'mean' figure of discardable writing.