Obviously, Ms. Schlesinger, you are a professional. The quality of your writing and your impressive track record both prove that. So please don't take my comment as implying anything but deep respect.

I doubt your process is all that different from mine--or many other seasoned writers'--for short essays, especially when I start off with a clear idea of the point I want to make.

The fact that it takes you as much as 5 hours to produce what you call a first draft points to how you've internalized all the processes I'm talking about. I'll bet you could knock out 1000 words an hour if you weren't editing and rewriting as you go.

Yes, it's different with longer works. I'd say it's also different with poetry and fiction, even when they're short; the crafting process is more recursive as you strive for the artistic effect you want. Essays are more straightforward, like speaking extemporaneously on a topic you know well; your knowledge organizes the words for you.

But I still insist, novice writers need to learn the process of drafting and rewriting. For many of my students, that's what gets them over their initial writer's block, knowing that the first draft doesn't need to be perfect. And for first-time novelists, that's what they will learn as soon as they encounter agents and editors.