Be Like Thomas & Ernest

 It's July 5th.

The day after American Independence Day.

Which brings to mind the Declaration of Independence and its principle author, Thomas Jefferson.

If you are a writer, I urge you to read this masterfully written state paper. Take in the format and the words that have been carefully selected. There's a lot to learn here.

That being said, as a writer, there is more you can learn about your craft from the Declaration of Independence than by only reading it. 

After you read it, consider this photograph of an early draft of the document and the quote from Ernest Hemingway that follows it. 

The first draft of anything is shit. - Ernest Hemingway

The lesson to be learned from Jefferson and Hemingway is to edit and improve every piece you write.

• Many consider Jefferson to have been one of the smartest people on the planet in his time. And it took him many drafts to craft this masterpiece into the brilliant writing that is still relevant hundreds of years after he wrote it.
  
  
• Almost 100 years after it was published, Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" is still considered one of the great American classics. He rewrote the ending over 39 times.

You might not be a Jefferson or a Hemingway, but as a writer you can learn from them. And one of the major takeaways is about the positive impact strong editing can have on the quality of your writing.