Steps in the Creative Process

Creating a Baby		Creating A Story/Poem
conception: sperm and egg meet, zygote formed		idea: thoughts come together to form beginnings of a plot.
gestation: development/growth of from zygote to feutus		plot development: creating characters, outline, research (if needed), etc.
labor/birth: pushing baby out of womb into world		writing first draft: getting the story out of your head and on paper
relief & exhaustion (immediatly after birth): body needs to recoup		**relief & exhaustion: mind needs a to recouperate, put story aside
Raise child: love, clothes, food, shelter, teach it how to interact with people (Parents don't want to be embarrased by misbehaving child)		Raise Story/Poem: editing, rewritting, preparing it for others to read (Writers don't want to be embarrased by sloppy work)
Letting go: parents have taught all they can, child has to make her own way in the world		letting go: after editing and rewriting, story in it's final form. Ready to be read by others.

** Beginning writers sometimes make the mistake of thinking the story is finished at this step. If you don't intend to submit your work for publication or don't plan to show it to others, stopping at this step is fine. If you skip the "raising" step (editing and rewriting), your story or poem will probably not be as strong as it could have been. You will find more about how and why you should revise your story in the editing section.

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