The word "playwright" comes from the word "wrought", as in wrought iron, to "work into shape by artistry or effort". I can't think of a more apt etymology! When you write something, you are starting out with something rough-edged and clunky and attempting to fashion something coherent and beautiful out of it. And it's no more glamorous than whacking a bit of iron with a big hammer. In fact it's less glamorous, as you have to create even the lump of iron! Ironworkers have it made!
You have the initial excitement of inspiration, the lightbulb moment, then the awful, exhausting, anguish-inducing transfer onto a blank page, then the happy-go-lucky editing process. At uni a teacher said that the biggest artist on a film is the editor. I've kept that in mind ever since.
I think of it like a sandwich, a sort of reverse-sandwich really, with the flavoursome bits either side. I love coming up with the initial ideas and thinking them through, I HATE the middle bit, and love the 2nd, 3rd, 4th drafts. I could be a professional drafter for that matter, I'd be quite happy drafting away, creating multiple versions of things.
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