Blogger: Michelle Ule
Sitting in for the traveling Mary Keeley.
You don’t have to be a writer very long before you discover the need to rewrite your work.
The realization may come from a beta reader, a friend, your own fresh eyes or maybe even an editor.
It can be humiliating.
Disappointing.
Shocking.
Irritating.
But necessary.
How do you even start?
Here are four tips on how to start rewriting a novel:
1. Accept the manuscript needs work.
For many of us writers operating on just a margin of ego that frequently slips away as easily as the sun, it’s hard to admit your project isn’t perfect.
People use a variety of ways to write a novel: the meticulous plotter (essential for thriller and mystery writers), the general planner who waves her hands and says “something will happen here,” and the seat-of-the-pants writers who miraculous find their story as they write.
All the methods have advantages and probably are linked to the author’s personality, but one thing remains–
We all need help at some point and our manuscript often will show it.
So, don’t be embarrassed, accept the fact and move forward.
You can’t fix a problem if you refuse to recognize it.
2. Step away from the manuscript for awhile and then read it quickly
This is always helpful advice, whether you know you need to rewrite or not. Time gives us distance–we forget what’s in the story, both the good and the bad.
Often, it’s that read after time has passed that enables us to recognize it may not be the great American novel afterall.
We read “fresher,” more like a “real” reader. Zipping through the manuscript–reading it for pleasure not to find problems–enables us to get a better feel for what works and what doesn’t work.
Look for the following and mark them, as you read:
*boring
*repetitious
*unlikely
*out of character
* rabbit trail
*unnecessary
*WHAT?
and so forth.
3. Find a reader/ pay someone who understands writing technique to critique for you.
When friends, spouses and other readers have been kind but not enthusiastic and, worse, don’t look us in the eye, we know we have a problem.
“Normal” people often lack the technical skill to explain what they think the issues are. In a case like that, we need to find either writer friends or possibly a professional editor to help us.
Critique groups can help, too.
Sometimes paying a professional to read through the manuscript, or even the first few chapters, can clarify things for us and can be well worth the money–but, they also can be painful.
4. Beg your readers for their negative reactions and listen to them.
My father-in-law used to famously say an articulate enemy can be better than a loving friend.
As an aerospace engineer, he needed someone to criticize his WORK but who was not afraid of jeopardizing their relationship.
We need to know where the problems are in our baby, er, manuscript, so we can improve it.
Of course it will hurt, but we can’t fix the problem if we don’t know what it is.
Indeed, we should always ask for what our readers specifically didn’t like–that can be a clue to what the real problems are.
We all need feedback.
Even you.
5. Bonus! Realize all the great writers write more than one draft. Here are a few reminders:
Ernest Hemingway–who rewrote The Old Man and the Sea umpteen times, in long-hand!
Anne Lamott–everyone knows how she describes first drafts! 🙂
Madeleine L’Engle–who famously said, “I can only write so far and then I need an editor to help me.”
Have you ever needed to rewrite a manuscript?
(Ha! Just checking)
How do you determine what needs to be changed to make a manuscript work?
Tweetables
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Shirley,where are you???
I LOVE having beta readers. It can be painful, but so is having a manuscript that can’t find a home. I know my story and can sort out the suggestions that are valid and those that would compromise the story. Usually the critics are right.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve gone through my current MS.
Just when I thought I was DONE, as in “Stick a fork in it/me”, Someone Who Is Traveling told me to “cut some more, it’s still too long, and then read out loud to yourself”.
So far, I’ve cut another 9000+ words.
And they were boring:
*repetitious
*unlikely
*out of character
* rabbit trail
*unnecessary
*WHAT?
and so forth.
Thanks for this , Michelle.
It’s going to be a mean, lean story machine by the time it’s done, Jennifer. Doesn’t it feel lighter already?
IT’S DONE!!!!!!
Yes, it feels like rayon, after a few months as wet wool. 😉
Longhand rewrites, oh my! I love my computer.
* Every read is a re-write, because I find another repetitious word, or punctuation error, or a phrase that doesn’t flow smoothly.
* I count it a new draft when there is a major change, which puts me at the fourth draft for my current WIP: 1) the switch from a short devotional to a book; 2) directing it to men as well as women; 3) format changes to match the brand of my blog; 4) putting more of my personal story into the content. The inspiration for #1 came directly from God. #2 came directly from readers. #3 grew out of discussion here. #4 is a combination of all three, plus books I read about writing.
* WIP is getting better. Thanks to all!
“Every read is a re-write”
YES!!!!
Shirlee, there you are! You had me worried!
Oh dear, Sheila. Am I that predictable?
* It is a vacation day from the day job. I slept in. Clear to 6:30!
You made me feel better because every time I read through my story, I change, or fix, something.
I find it helps to read great novels. Read, read, read. Then, after time and I read mine with fresh eyes, it’s easier to spot what needs improvement. Reading out loud helps too … to sense what reads smoothly or what is too choppy, etc. I’m not at the point to see all needed change, but I feel I’m improving. And I so agree with Shirley on “every read is a re-write” … I wish I had kept count of how many times I’ve worked through mine. 🙂 And when my favorite authors of great novels mention their re-writes, I am grateful for their honesty and genuine hearts …
I thought I read once that Hemingway rewrote “The Old Man and the Sea,” 50 times, but I couldn’t nail down that fact.
Michelle,
Thanks for these tips on getting started! I took an editing class a while back, and I’m going through the notes now to remind me how to make this process more productive.
Glad to help.
Great post, Michelle!
* I enjoy rewrites, and can’t wait to get through the first draft to start the second.
* One of the things that I had to look for in the past was the use of ‘dating’ phraseology, expressions that are specific to the period in which I’m physically writing the thing. An example might be a character saying about an urgent task, “I’m all over it” or “I’m on it”. Nothing wrong with expressing it that way, except that as the expressions fall from colloquial usage, they’ll become quaint. (Think of the 1970s, and the standard salutation, “What’s your sign?”)
* And for what it’s worth, this comment had a gestation of an hour, with three full rewrites, and a good bit of thought in between.
It’s amazing and sometimes disheartening to see what changes need to be made after setting an MS aside for a bit, especially those first chapters. I find this is the best time to do a quick read out loud. You’ll
stumble over the rough spots every time.
I am definitely the meticulous plotter, which feels like a curse sometimes! After several notepads, timelines, diagrams, and handwritten and typed drafts, I still could not manage to get through a reread without hours of revision. And with the help of two reliable readers, a couple of plot-breaking mistakes were found. If I hadn’t been so meticulous, I believe the work in which I had invested so much time would have suffered greatly. So although the rereads and revisions feel like an exasperating exercise in diligence and patience, I have to agree that the “post-production” process is just as important as the rest. I have received so many compliments on how clean my finished work is. Makes it all worth it!
I usually end up seeing what needs to be changed at a couple points in my process. First, as I fast draft and think back on scenes just written, I can often tell what needs to be added/enhanced/deleted on my second pass through the MS.
*As beta readers read through my MS, they often catch stuff I missed, or things that convey a different message than I intended. They’ve been beyond helpful for helping me improve my stories.
*Great post, Michelle!
Yes! There were a few instances where my reader pointed out something that might come across to a reader completely different than what I had intended. It’s the advantage of the reader being on the outside looking in.
Exactly, Jaxon! Reliable beta readers are the best. 🙂
Curious how words can trip us up, isn’t it? I’ve had two people suggest I change the names of my lead characters. One because of the connotation in his UK head and the other because my heroine’s name is suspiciously like another famous heroine of a novel I’ve never read.
Sigh.
I wonder if Lucy and Desi would work?
I’m embarrassed to admit that one of my readers pointed out the similarities of one of my characters, named Sheriff Woody, to a famous toy sheriff!!! He thought it was a joke. It wasn’t at first, but immediately became one!
I wish I could write fast and then go back and edit. I write at whatever speed, edit as I go along, and then get to re-edit and re-edit again. THEN someone tells me my mistakes and I get to rewrite and re-edit and so forth.
I always give myself an artificial deadline at least a month ahead of the real one!
That makes a lot of sense, Michelle. I have one beta reader who is brave enough to read my chapters as I fast draft them. Then I use her applicable thoughts to help form the story as I progress and make changes when I rewrite.
*BTW, Luci and Desi sound like GREAT names! 😉
One method I use to determine what needs to be changed, specific to action scenes, is using my son’s Legos to act out each scene. It really helps to flesh out a scene that requires describing positions, movements, etc. On a couple occasions, having those tangible manipulatives brought about a surprising revelation like, “Wait a minute. What I’ve written couldn’t physically happen!”
Great idea. I used to use storyboards.
Yeah, Andrew, also very effective. Especially when you can include pics. I also used my kids to help me act out my final action sequence. That was really helpful!
Love it! And Lego!
Awesome!
I have 3 boys. We have LEGO everywhere!
I’m in the middle of a rewrite at the moment. It’s not fun, but it’s getting a little easier with time.
Everyone probably knows this, but for what it’s worth…ALWAYS save your previous version, untouched, when you start a rewrite.
* Rewrites can sometimes be their own rabbit trails, and you may find that the freshness of voice of an early version can trump sophistication of craft.
Good advice. Save them. I’ve referred back to older versions more than once when a minor edit or change just didn’t work and I wanted to go back to square one.
Definitely! Thank you, Andrew. 🙂
Content (macro/substantive) editing is a skill set I don’t possess. I’m thankful my editor at WaterBrook does in spades. 1/3 of one of my 3 (almost 4) books published had to be rewritten during that stage, in about 6 weeks time. Two major changes about 1/3 of the way through the novel had a huge ripple effect. At the outset I wasn’t even certain it would improve the book, just make it different. But I went with it, having learned by then to trust my editor’s skill at what she does. In the end she was proven right again. Still, had she not suggested one possible path through this substantial rewrite to get everything altered and still flow on to the same ending, I would have felt completely overwhelmed. Lost at sea. There would have been tears! That she could see that path at all still amazes me (it’s her superpower). I could have found it as easily as I could detect an ocean current by staring at the water’s surface.
Nor have I ever yet been able to pull off Step 2. I cannot read my own work fast. I can’t shut down the writer part of my brain and just read my work like a reader would. Only when it’s out in audio form can I enjoy it in that way. I’ve tried. It never works. But then I don’t read any book fast anymore. Perhaps it’s age! I do agree it’s a great thing to do if a writer can manage it.
Thank you for that, Lori. When I write the MS, I feel like I see the whole picture as I go. But … to look at a work and try to see the whole picture, figure out what would be better … amazes me. I’m not sure I could do that. You are blessed to have a trusted editor. I’ve heard another author say the same … she wasn’t sure about the changes her editor suggested, but they proved correct. And the changes made the work so much better. Trust. 🙂 And that’s wonderful she suggested a path … it’d be hard to find it alone.
Stepping back, right Shelli? It’s like looking at a painting. You can admire the details and perhaps find mistakes (think all of Picasso . . . .), but it’s only when you step back that it begins to meld together into a full picture.
I’m thinking of pointilism, of course (maybe Picasso should have tried that?), but it works for others fields as well. 🙂
I’m with you there, Lori. It’s wonderful to have an editor, or even a friend, with an excellent eye to reading and understanding what needs to be fixed.
I do not have that eye.
Everyone I work with at Books & Such does.
Which is why I’m the editorial assistant, of course, and happy to be here! 🙂
Oh, Michelle. Yes! I wrote the first draft of my first novel during NaNoWriMo a few years back. I’d hate to go back and read that sophomoric version compared to the current draft. Thanks to an editor and the eyes of my ACFW critique group, it’s so much better than I ever dreamed it could be way back when. I think of the process like raising a child. The old saying, “It takes a village” couldn’t be more applicable to writing. So thankful for those willing to partner with me to make my writing better. 🙂
Absolutely right, Teresa, though hang on to that early draft and donate it to a library when you’ve published a boat load of books–researchers will want to compare and contrast someday!
Another thought, and that is to approach each draft as if it will be the only one you will ever do.
* I’ve learned this practically – I have some ‘early drafts’ that, given life’s circumstances, I will probably not be able to completely polish, yet I value the stories. It I have the strength and energy, they will get a ‘readability cleanup’ and go out through Kindle and CreateSpace. It’s the best I can still do, and even that’s in question.
You and I have talked before about the advantages of self-publishing ebooks–you can always go back and correct the copy.
I finished Blessed are the Pure in Heart–you gave me lots to think about, and a few things to disagree with . . .
Oops, can’t ask my spoiler question on a public blog! 🙂
I couldn’t survive without my critique groups. I’m in three (three!) of them and they help me tremendously.
Doesn’t that take a lot of time–to manage three?
And do they find the same issues, or are they, like, more specialists?
They’re for different types of writing. And they do take time, but allow me to be with friends who understand writing.
Michelle,
Interesting to learn that your father-in-law was an aerospace engineer. My grandfather was too, working for Macdonnell Douglas after WW2 and through the space race.
*It also brings an interesting metaphor to mind in regard to your 2nd point: read quickly. Writing a book is a little like building a race car, or perhaps a jet. You can know and understand how all the different parts work and fit together, and you can have a plan as you build it, but until you take it out and test it at full speed, you won’t really know if it’s working. When we write, we labor over a page at a time, a paragraph at a time, a sentence at a time. But when the book makes it out there in the real world, the reader takes it in at full speed.
Excellent points, Jared.
Jennifer above is meticulously plodding through the reading aloud of her manuscript and discovering all sorts of flaws she’ll now go back and repair. Reading quickly is for story–the macro. Reading slowly is to pick out all the minor flaws.
Like many of you, every read shows me another mistake–which I then correct. Yesterday I spent the entire afternoon rereading the last few weeks’ work–I thought to catch up with the story after a week with visitors–but ended up spending the whole day fixing things.
I better get back to the real writing today!
And my father-in-law–not only worked on the Apollo 13 project (when we saw the movie he complained some of the switches were in the wrong spots!), but he also devoted 30 years of his live researching and writing about Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe–for whom he makes a very interesting argument as the author of the Shakespeare canon.
Pity my poor husband living with him and then marrying me–with a couple of writer sisters to boot!
I’ve been following the conversation from my phone, and am pleased at how you’ve been managing without me. Now I’m at my computer . . .
It sounds like most of you have confronted this dilemma before with Andrew, of course, adding the most poignant reminder. I’ll have to contact Lori and see if I can get some details about that massive rewrite for another post–I’ve known about it a long time, just never thought to ask questions.
You’re forewarned, Lori . . . 🙂
I’m with you Sheila, vexing though it is, the critics often are right. It’s just such a shame to kill such an adorable darling manuscript . . .
Perhaps I’m odd, but I actually enjoy rewriting. It’s like tuning an engine to get maximum performance or a piano to get perfect harmonies.
*I’m constantly rereading previous sections as I write to get consistency and flow, and each time I reread I might change something a little. Occasionally I change it a lot. That makes for many rewritten versions. At least once a week (and always immediately after a major change) I save under an amended file name that includes the date that version was first filed. Then I keep working on the newest version. That leaves a trail of many of the earlier versions that I can refer back to if I need to. I’m writing a series of related novels, and sometimes a change in one even requires a rewrite of part of another. That’s just fine with me. It gives me a reason to spend more time with an old friend.
*I also keep a file called “cuts from XXX” where I squirrel outlining paragraphs that are later replaced by full text and sections I decide to delete or radically amend. This makes it painless to “kill your darlings” since they are always still there in the cuts file.
*The most fun I’ve had rewriting was taking my original version of a 91k-word manuscript that was written as omniscient narrator POV and flipping it into the more scene-oriented 3rd person limited. The farther I got into it, the more natural the new POV style became. I rewrote parts of it more than once as I improved my skill with the new POV. It ended up 108K words, but, boy, did the emotional impact ratchet up in the new style!
Sounds great, Carol. And I like keeping the cuts. I call that the “outtake” file. 🙂
I keep a file for revision ideas. Whenever I realize something new that needs to change or have a new idea, I poke the bullet point button and put that into my file for later. Then I highlight each idea as I address it in the ms.
How do I determine what needs to be changed to make a manuscript work? I wish I knew!
**
My WiP needs a rewrite. Experienced beta readers were supportive but not enthusiastic. They couldn’t pinpoint the problem, either. I thought I might have to change the entire middle of the novel, a daunting prospect.
**
I spent months thinking about how I could fix what I thought was the problem. I felt I needed to entirely change events and their outcomes, maybe even change “good” characters into “bad” ones. As I said, daunting.
**
I’d been reading a ton of novels in my genre as I puzzled out my problem, as well as rereading numerous books on writing craft, when it struck me. The problem isn’t the plot–it’s my female lead’s behavior and reactions. Too often, she’s a passive vessel to whom things happen (though it’s not as obvious as that makes it sound). I don’t need to rewrite the story so much as I need to rewrite the character.
**
If I had any method for determining what needs to be changed, I’m sure I would have realized the solution ages ago. Now, “all” I have to do is sit down and make those changes.
That’s an important insight to gain into your main character, Elissa, and I applaud you for figuring it out through a mastery of your genre. I’m sure your writing will be stronger in other ways as a result. Good luck!
It’s such a good reminder that we’re all in this tiny detail called rewriting! We’re not the scribes of God so can’t get it right the first time. We work hard at our craft and it takes time.