--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I tend to write things seven times before…" description: "\"I tend to write things seven times before I show them to my editor. I write them seven times, then I take them on tour, read them like a dozen times on..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/276/david-sedaris-333_dozen_i-tend-to-write-things-seven-times-befor_768401.png" --- # I tend to write things seven times before I show them to… ![“I tend to write things seven times before I show them to my editor. I write them seven times, then I take them on tour, read them like a dozen times on tour, then go back to the room and rewrite, read and rewrite... I would never show him a first draft, because then he's really going to be sick of…” quote by David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/276/david-sedaris-333_dozen_i-tend-to-write-things-seven-times-befor_768401.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/276/david-sedaris-333_dozen_i-tend-to-write-things-seven-times-befor_768401.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/276/david-sedaris-333_dozen_i-tend-to-write-things-seven-times-befor_768401.png) > “I tend to write things seven times before I show them to my editor. I write them seven times, then I take them on tour, read them like a dozen times on tour, then go back to the room and rewrite, read and rewrite... I would never show him a first draft, because then he's really going to be sick of it by the twelfth draft.” [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes relentless revision, polishing work through multiple drafts before sharing to ensure quality. **In simple terms:** Polish work through many drafts before sharing. Key Takeaway Revise repeatedly before showing others. Themes writing revision perfectionism craft discipline Mood determined reflective Type advice process When to use this quote - author workshops - publishing submissions - personal writing projects - academic papers Key Concepts iteration self‑editing feedback loops Questions to Reflect On - How many drafts are enough? - Does endless editing hinder creativity? A Different Perspective Too many revisions can stall progress and cause perfectionism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [In Austria an editor who can write well is valuable, but he is not likely to remain so unless he can handle a sabre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/in-austria-an-editor-who-can-write-well-is-valuable-but-he-is-not/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“1. Write like you’ll live forever — fear is a bad editor. 2. Write like you’ll croak today — death is the best editor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-dakron/1-write-like-you-ll-live-forever-fear-is-a-bad-editor-2-write-like/) Ron Dakron > [I think about my editor when I write. She's a good friend, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/i-think-about-my-editor-when-i-write-she-s-a-good-friend-too/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [My experience as a writer is that you really do write seven and eight pages to find the paragraph you were after all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/my-experience-as-a-writer-is-that-you-really-do-write-seven-and-eight/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I write about six to seven hours a day, five days a week, unless I'm traveling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/i-write-about-six-to-seven-hours-a-day-five-days-a-week-unless-i-m/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [Reading gave me great comfort and pleasure. 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How much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/why-did-i-write-it-down-in-order-to-remember-of-course-but-exactly/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [I'm a planner, an organizer. I write things down because you can visually check them off and see progress. 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Then, use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/write-relentlessly-until-you-find-your-voice-then-use-it/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) [Explore all 667 David Sedaris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) ## More Dozen quotes > [One should never forget that by actually perfecting one piece one gains and learns more than by starting or half-finishing a dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/one-should-never-forget-that-by-actually-perfecting-one-piece-one/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [Saiman picked up a coffee mug, stared at it, and hurled it against the wall. It shattered into a dozen pieces. We looked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/saiman-picked-up-a-coffee-mug-stared-at-it-and-hurled-it-against-the/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. 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They covered everything from blood tests to ultrasounds, and I even had the option of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liya-kebede/while-i-was-pregnant-i-had-dozens-of-checkups-they-covered-everything/) [Liya Kebede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liya-kebede/) Browse all 974 Dozen quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I tend to write things seven times before I show them to my editor. I write them seven times, then I take them on tour, read them like a dozen times on tour, then go back to the room and rewrite, read and rewrite... 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