Done today: Chapter 4
Revision remaining: 149 pages
Daily pages needed to be finished by end of November: 3.5
Got some more revision done this weekend and figured out some things that had been bothering me, which was great. I’m going to change one chapter into two chapters with more stuff added in, so I might just do that in the computer rather than paper tomorrow morning.
I know, weird to be putting stuff IN, when I should be trimming, but I’m also trimming other areas, and I think the change will make the flow better.
Either way, it’s worth it to try. The new version might not work, which is why I’m already working with a 2 version of my book’s Word doc. But, it’s always best to try something and it not work than to not try and lose the opportunity for finding something that might have worked really well.
If you rewrite a scene five, six, more ways, and it takes longer, better that and you find the best version of the scene, than writing it one way and it being only mediocre.
That old saying, writing is rewriting, is so true. Take the time to rewrite as much as you need to try new things … to explore the story. It’ll be worth it.
How many times have you re-written the same scene?
Write On!
2 Responses
You are so right, Samantha. I have also found this to be true of entire novels! Unfortunately, rewriting a whole book takes more time than most writers can spare. This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but I’ve recently realized that writing several outlines, each taking the story in a different direction or with a different MC, is a more effective way to find the best version.
That’s a great idea, Vonna. Thanks.
I usually work with an outline, but with my current book, I just had the idea at the beginning and the story unfolded as I wrote. It was a strange feeling, but I think it worked out.