This Is Why You Should Embrace The Rewriting Process
Rewriting and editing our written work can sometimes feel like a chore. But it’s the rewriting process that polishes our work and really makes it shine…
It’s safe to say that a story is rarely complete in the first draft. Rewriting is an essential and inevitable part of a writer’s life. As we continue to rewrite and edit, it’s amazing how much more confident we become, in our ability to notice things which work and those which don’t.
Sometimes, we hit a barrier, and feel like we’re never going to be happy with our story. But with perseverance, that rewarding feeling will come, when you feel satisfied with your work, when it feels complete. When the rewriting is done. It can be an extremely long process, and painful at times. But keep the belief in yourself, and trust that the right words will come to you, embrace the rewriting process. It’s always worth it in the end.
What is the Rewriting Process in Creative Writing?
Do you have a particular rewriting process? Do you write first, and comb through it afterwards, or do you tweak things as you go along? There is no definitive answer to this. It’s all about finding what works for you, but in this post, we share three key tools to help you through the rewriting process.
The Benefits of The Rewriting Process?
Rewriting allows us to explore endless creative writing ideas. It gives you the chance to explore different options and alternative possibilities for your writing. It’s a process all about experimenting and playing with possibilities.
Each time you revisit your story, you’re gaining experience, and learning about your own writing style, and your habits. It can be a very eye-opening process.
We may not notice it immediately, but rewriting helps develop skills, such as patience and resilience. We might not get the result we want straight away, but we keep going, and keep working away at our writing.
As Natalie Goldberg says in Writing Down The Bones, ‘Often I will stab many times at something I want to say.’ The words don’t always come easy, but rewriting allows us to play until we find them.
Three Key Tools To Help You Embrace The Rewriting Process
1. Think on Macro and Micro Levels
Did you know there are macro and micro levels of rewriting? The macro side covers the bigger issues including your opening, ending, and story structure, and the micro concentrates on the smaller details, including voice, dialogue and language techniques.
The differing levels can be a great guide to help you identify creative writing techniques within your work.
Here are some things you could consider when rewriting:
Macro:
Think about your opening and reflect on how strong it is. See our blog on How To Create A Strong Opening For Your Novel.
Looking at your ending, will it stay with the reader? Have you chosen to end with ambiguity, or reached a satisfying point of resolution?
Micro:
When it comes to dialogue, consider things such as does it sound natural? When you read it aloud, does it sound right? How does it capture your character?
Looking at language techniques, are your metaphors and similes original? Are there any phrases in there that feel a little stale with overuse?
“Are you ready to dive into the exciting world of editing? Our workbook can help.”
Our How To Edit Your Book PDF Workbook will help you to:
✅ Identify the stages of editing.
✅ Explore how you use the tool of editing to improve your first draft.
✅ Create a checklist to use when editing your work.
✅ Learn how to spot classic mistakes.
✅ Become more confident in your writing process.
Plus it’s packed with writing activities.
2. Give Yourself Time and Distance
The rewriting process can be stressful. We can be so set on making our writing perfect, that we begin to over-analyse and overthink.
One of the most useful things you can do, if your time allows, is put your story aside for a while, and then come back to it. This could be a few days, or a week, it all depends on how much time you have.
Coming back to it later, you’ll feel rejuvenated. It allows you to look at your story with a fresh perspective, and your mind picks up on different things than when you last looked at it.
Sometimes, we spend so many hours working on something that our head feels like it’s going to explode. See this as a sign that you need to take a break, and step back for a while.
Putting a little time and distance between yourself and your writing is invaluable.
3. Gather Suggestions
Read your work out loud. This is something we love to promote at Derbyshire Writing School, it can be such a really helpful tool. It’s almost like getting a new point of view on your story.
Sometimes, we see only what we want to, and, when we hear the words out loud, we are more prone to notice something that doesn’t read right, or pick up on things such as spelling errors. It helps to clear what can be described as ‘the fog in our minds’.
Be sure to save your drafts, so you can refer back to earlier versions. These can be great points of reference. You can compare your latest version, with earlier ones, and reflect on the changes you’ve made.
If you’re feeling unsure, do you have someone you can turn to for suggestions, a writing buddy? That new perspective might open your eyes to something you’ve missed, or spark a new idea within you.
Embracing The Rewriting Process
Whether it takes five, ten, or more rewrites, it’s important to keep going, to be resolute, and to make sure your story is as amazing as it can be. There is no definitive number of rewrites or drafts for a writer. It’s whatever you feel is right when you believe your story is ready.
There’s no doubt that it can be frightening when you chop and change parts of your story. But pushing past the uncertainty means you will access the exciting part of rewriting. The part of the experience which reveals things to you, lets you discover new thoughts and ideas for your story.
Consider it your personal journey with that piece of writing. You have the opportunity to really get to know your story, the messages you want to convey, and the feelings you’re trying to create. Embrace the rewriting process and see where it takes you.
We’d love to know how you get on with the rewriting process please get in touch and let us know!
If you’d like help with the rewriting process you be interesting in our writing coaching.
