Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Do Not Fear the Rewrite


Hear ye, hear ye,

To other writers out there:

Do not, I repeat, do not fear the rewrite. I know of tons of writers, especially "beginners", who are so intimidated by the rewriting process that they convince themselves that a rough or first draft will do just fine.
But they say writing is rewriting and it's true.

I've spent the past few months working, cleaning, dressing up, and putting lipstick on SILENCING SAPPHIRE, the second book in the Sapphire series (published by Diversion Books later this spring), and I go into it everyday with one easy frame of mind. 

This is just my tip, and hopefully it could work as well for you as it has for me: 

Do not dig back into your first draft thinking about the 300 to 400 pages as a mountain of loose ends, plants unaccompanied by pay-offs, and underdeveloped character arcs. 

I go in and try to view it section by section, problem by problem, and it does wonders from the brain. Instead of dreading the moment when you turn your computer on, it allows you to actually enjoy the process and enjoy the opportunity to make the story, characters, and plot stronger than it was the day before.

xoxo
/Mia






No comments:

Post a Comment