I attended a Q&A w Michael Collier, a poet and one of the founders of Breadloaf, in Vermont. He discussed his process and I found it fascinating. 1) he’d write pieces on individual sheets of paper and then when he was done put them in a basket labeled #1. 2) a week or so later he’d go through basket #1 and rewrite the poem according to what he was feeling that day. Sometimes it would be a few diction revisions, sometimes stanzas or sections, sometimes the whole thing. When he was done, he put them in a basket labeled #2 3) a week or so after that, he’d take the basket #2 and do the same thing as 2). When he was done, he’d put it in a basket labeled #3. 4) a week or so after that, he’d take the poems in #3 and read them aloud. If he liked what he heard, if the feeling was still there, he’d send them out for publication or keep them toward a collection.

I actually applied this style to all of my forms, poems, essays, and short stories. I think it’s really made a positive difference.

Hope that helps!