As writers, we all know that ideas can be hard to bring to life. In our minds, something can seem so beautiful, so grand. Yet, when we put it on paper, it falls short.
These are obvious times when rewriting is necessary. Taking something from a seedling of a good idea into the fully-fledged tree is what rewriting is all about.
Yet, how about rumination? How about inspiration? I find that these two things are the biggest causes of my rewriting.
My current novel was little more than a concept about four years ago. I knew I wanted to write something with a lush fantasy world inspired by my home in Japan.
Now, all the characters names are different. The group names are different. So is the name of the world and the religions present.
After my first draft, I rewrote the entire books from scratch in a blank word document. Then I tweaked many things for the third draft.
After hiring an editor to look at the manuscript developmentally, I made significant changes in the fifth draft.
Only recently, I thought of a concept that would push the narrative even further. While this won't cause very large fundamental changes, there will be plenty of changes to certain chapters and conversations.
Draft six. Some writers have rewrites that make six drafts look sheepish.
After about the third draft, I thought that this would be the last change. After this, I would be done.
Clearly, I was wrong.
Is a work of art ever finished? Maybe. Maybe not. But I think that I've learned a lot from this rewriting journey. I hope that by sharing these insights I can help save people some time rewriting and help them focus on making the best story that they can.
So here's three things I learned during my rewriting journey:
1. It's a necessary evil, but you have to determine how much time you want to give to it.
I do think rewriting is necessary. From first draft to last, it's going to be an inevitable part of the writing process.
However, I do think that some of my rewrites could have been avoided if I had a little bit more experience at the time. If I had some more experience with stories themselves.
While I know that some of us out there are very against plots and outlines, I have found that without one, my rewrites increase greatly.
Maybe this is due to my inexperience. Does Stephen King need an outline? Probably not. But it helps me, and probably helps a lot of writers who aren't King.
I don't mean that you need to know every scene or every interaction, but knowing where you want your story to go, and providing a compelling reason for your characters to do x can be extremely important.
Having a question or theme that the book tackles can also help with this. Anything that gives you more focus during the drafting process can eliminate the need for later rewrites.
I often find that the more I think about my plot, the more changes I want to make. Putting this thought into the plot before you draft it can help eliminate the number of revisions that you might have to do later on.
Doing these things before the second or third draft can really help later on during the editing process.
2. Take a look at inspiration. Is it really fitting or is it just a fleeting moment?
I have been working on my current novel on and off for four years. During this time, I have been inspired by countless works of art. Everything from novels to video games has inspired me.
Since my novel writing process has been fairly long, I've had enough time to want to write other stories. Sometimes I'll be so inspired by a story that I'll want to try an incorporate some aspect of it into my own writing.
Whether or not it truly fits in with the work I'm writing right now.
That's the tricky part of inspiration. It's not all created equal, and it's not all good for your current story.
When I first started my fantasy novel, I was so inspired by the manga Tokyo Ghoul (still my favorite, by the way.) All I wanted to do was tell a story that made others feel the way Tokyo Ghoul made me feel.
I took the parts of Tokyo Ghoul that inspired me and tried to rework them originally into my own manuscript. I think this is natural. We are all inspired by things and incorporate them into our own writing and works of art.
However, as I continued to write drafts and edit, my book became more of its own beast. Some of the themes and aspects of Tokyo Ghoul that I so desperately wanted to incorporate, no longer seemed fitting.
Some of this was inevitable. Since my novel writing process has been taking so long, it's no surprise that I have been inspired by many stories since I began.
But I think that it is a skill of an experienced writer to know which pieces of inspiration to take and which to disregard. Trying to understand which may benefit your story and which are just a passing fad in your myriad of interests can help save you from making unnecessary changes.
3. Knowing when enough is enough.
Writing a novel could quite literally be never ending. There is always something to change, always something that you can make better.
Sometimes, you just need to give up.
I know, I know. This is insane advice. We were taught to never give up on anything in life. But after draft number eight, nine, ten, twenty...you have to ask yourself:
Am I really making the manuscript better, or am I just shuffling the pieces around?
I came to this realization after making massive changes during my third draft. I was giddy with excitement at the prospect of being done and improving my draft.
Yet, what I really found was that all I did was make big changes. That seemed good in the moment. However, after another round of revisions, I was closer to where I started, albeit with more nuance and deftness.
Coming full circle made me realize that change isn't inherently good just because it is big. Small changes can impact the story greatly.
Recognizing when we are only making changes for the sake of it versus actually improving our stories is a huge step in maturing as a writer.
Once you realize that you are only changing things for the sake a change and not for improvement, I'd argue that it's time to leave the manuscript alone. It is finished.
Those are the three lessons that I learned during my time rewriting. While my novel isn't completed yet, these insights have helped me greatly during the later revisions.
Hopefully these can help you during your drafting process as well, and save you time so you can spend more time putting the words on the page.
Working on a second book, first novel, it’s been more than a year since writing it but going on another year after putting it in the hands of my editor. Looking at another year to complete after edits and polish.
Editing separates the men from the boys.