Rewriting a story

 

Hello, friends!

Today we'll discuss a topic that could feel shameful to go through - it's common to feel a sense of failure when we decide to rewrite a story - but don't worry, you're not alone in this. In this post you'll find advice and tips to remember when rewriting your story.

Let's get into it!

First thing first, it is not a bad thing to rewrite your story. You don't have to punish yourself for it, you didn't fail - you made a step forward, and now it's time to take another, and that's all that is. Don't worry - you'd be surprised how many authors rewrite their stories.

If you believe the story is worth it, don't be afraid and do it justice.

• Remember what is the reason for rewriting the story and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

• Keep in mind the things that weren't done the best in the previous version, you can even note them down and return to them from time to time to check if you're still on the right path.

• If you know there are specific elements of writing that are especially hard for you, I'd strongly encourage you to ask a trusted person to read thro those and give you feedback. 

• The best thing to do at the beginning of the rewriting process is to note down all the important things you want to keep in the new version, including events, characters, places. Organize them in a logical way. Filter out the things you no longer want in the story and think about what impact it will have on it. Sketch out a new plot outline with the changes you made.

• Don't hesitate to take a step back and do some character building & world building that was lacking before.

With each chapter, ask yourself those questions:

• Do we learn anything new in this chapter? What do we learn? 

• What is the emotional value of this chapter? 

• Did I manage to reach the conclusions I wanted to reach?

• What was the chapter's goal? Did I reach it?

• Is there a proper description VS dialogue balance?

While rewriting, try to also watch out for:

• plot holes

• keeping the story in the intended genre

• unbelievable protagonists & antagonists

• lack of relatable characters

• disposable characters 

There's also the technical side we need to remember about. Watch out for:

• sentences that are too long or end too soon

• repeating words (some of the popular examples: smiled, said)

• unnecessary “clutter” words

• switching time you're writing in (past, present)

• forgetting to say who's speaking OR mentioning it unnecessary amount of times

• using basic adjectives in places where a more advanced one would work better (he smiled VS he smirked, etc)

From my personal experience:

A story I rewrote most of all is Broken Rule. There were a few different versions of it before it finally came to be what it is today. The main idea, the main characters and the main events didn't change in time - but as I matured and learned things, the story did as well. 

In comparison: in the previous version, there was little to no politics at all. Although in the current Broken Rule I also tried not to get too deep into it, there are definitely elements of it, making the entire story more realistic. 

I'm very proud of Broken Rule and I'm happy I spent all this time working on it, although at times it felt like it's impossible to ever give it justice. I'm glad I didn't give up, and I hope you also won't give up on your stories that need a little more time to grow🩵