The Rewards of Rewriting
Yep. Rewriting has rewards, I promise you that. Without tackling rewriting my first MS, I wouldn’t be contracted with Harlequin right now, I’m certain of that. Without rewriting my first MS, I wouldn’t have grown like I did as a writer. Yeah, it’s scary, but if you’re willing to face it head on, you’ll be amazed at what it will do for you.
As you all know, I had to go through a few rounds of revisions with my first MS, and I got some major revisions on my second as well. Both times I ended up doing a rewrite.
With my first MS, I rewrote the second half. Doing revisions on it, I hadn’t strayed very far from what I originally had. I kept myself locked into the basic scenes that I had, kept myself confined to a similar black moment. When my lovely CP Jilly, suggested I rewrite from midway through on, and my editor confirmed it, I had a mild panic attack. But after thinking on it for a couple of days, and breathing into a paper bag, I just went for it. I decided to go big or go home. Up the sensuality, the glamor, the intensity. I broke out of my box. And of course, I had no idea if it would pay off. None at all.
Until, 4 1/2 months after I hit send, I got The Call.
With my second MS, currently with my ed, I felt I had to rewrite to match the new tone that came in with a different thread I introduced. Again, when the revisions hit, time to hit the inhaler due to panic attack, but given that few days, I was ready to take it on. And, yet again, my editor was much happier with the rewrite.
In my experience, when you’re staring down the barrel of massive, loaded, revisions that include conflict changes, character development, and other massive alterations, a rewrite is definitely worth considering.
Rewriting sounds daunting and scary and all kinds of unpleasant. I know. But the rewards are exponential. When you allow yourself to get outside of your personal writing box, and really stretch yourself, find new ways to tell your story, it makes your MS better, and it makes you a better writer. I know it’s done that for me.
My first though upon getting revisions is always: “But if I knew a better way to do it I would have done it that way in the first place!!!” *waaahhhh* More of less.
But making yourself rethink and find that better way stretches you, which hurts (keep caffeine and aspirin on hand!) but it’s also the thing that makes you grow.
And this…this bears no relevance at all to the post. Heck, it bears to relevance to what I write since he’s a Gladiator and I don’t write Historicals. This…this is just for fun. And if you’re facing the prospect of a rewrite/massive revisions, he’ll make you feel better. 😉
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Revisons are the nature of the beast, IMO. Every unpublished and published writer does them. And, I agree, it’s not fun. But, each time, the mss is stronger. I can see that.
Hey, and thanks for the pick me up. Who is he?
Abbi
mmm yes rewrites. i know i need to do this for my novel i wrote last year, i just haven’t been able to bring myself to tackle it yet. i know it will make it richer and so much better. Thanks for the great post (and the comment on mine :))
Never a truer word was spoken, Maisey. Rewrites might have saved my nearly there ms. If I’d have known what I was doing of course… 😉
And yes, hot gladiator action does make me feel miles better. 🙂
He IS SPARTACUS!! Hubby likes the gladiator show…I like the gladiators. Woo! (He knows, of course, since he’s the first person I tell these sorts of thins to. He also knows why I like Human Target so much…another man I shall have to share with you all!!)
Okay, seriously though…
When I was in elementary school once a year they would have a published author come and talk to the kids (I live across the street from my old school, but what do you want to bet they don’t ask ME to come speak about MY books. 😉
I’ll never forget that one of the writers said ‘writing is revision’. (I have a feeling he might have stolen it from Stephen King, but I was six, it was the first time I’d heard it)
It’s very true. Writing is so much rewriting and revising until it’s write. We all have to do it. And if some people don’t, imagine how much better their writing would have been if they did! 😉
Hi Maisey – I’ve been whinging about my massive revsions for weeks now, but last week I buckled down and got into them. The first two chaps were not too bad, but once I hit chapter three – it was rewrite time. I still don’t know if what I’m doing is ‘right’, but I can’t see any other way around it. So looks like I’m about to rewrite nine chaps. Sage Jackie had told me to do this before I sent the full – and maybe if I’d listened, these revs wouldn’t have been so massive (will always listen to you from now on Jackie!)
And yes – the gladiator is HOT…
I love revisions because I’ve yet to see a revised ms that any author claims was WORSE than the original. Just curious – do your revision from your editor come with a “fix this, fix that” or “scrap the whole second half and rewrite”?
Saw Human Target last week. Mark Valley is awesome!
Janette, I think once you get really stuck in you’ll start to enjoy them. I do. Revisions, no gladiators. Of course, gladiators are good too.
Maya, I’m glad it’s not only me that loves them in a way. They do great things for an MS, and for one’s writing skills! Ahhh…Mark Valley. I’m not even a fan of blonds in general but I likes him very much. And I’ll ignore the fact that he has a daughter that’s nearly my age…
Relevant or not, he sure looks good! I find I spend way more time doing revisions than I do writing. I think revisions are always the bulk of the work when it comes to producing a finished ms.
Currently in the breathing-into-a-paperbag mode. I’ve just written two books – both hovering around 45,000 words. Which I think may be too short. But as a not-yet-published author, I’m sort of out of my element. 😮
I have no clue if I should rewrite or edit either of them. I’m not entirely convinced I know what I am doing, despite high praise from my bff. haha!
I sent a query into Harlequin and Avon and Kensington, but now am wondering if I did the query letter right. Admittedly, I’m supposed to be patient for three months. Patient. There’s a word that doesn’t describe me… I figure I’ll just start another book while I wait.
And maybe re-query… And maybe rewrite… 😉
Jessica
The beautiful thing about editors, is they tell you when you need to rewrite. I don’t typically do them voluntarily, though my friend Jackie Ashenden does. As far as I know you should definitely requery after a while. unfortunately, I’ve never really written one, except as a companion to a partial and synopsis since I only submitted to category…single title is another matter completely! 🙂 But I wish you the best of luck, Jessica!
Thank you Maisey! 🙂
Thanks for dropping by!