7 Tips for Re-Writing Your Story
The document is staring at you, mocking. You've been pouring yourself into it for quite some time now. You thought things were going well.
But then things started to go south. At first, the signs were minimal. Some shaky character arc, slightly askew world building, but nothing that you couldn't fix with some good editing.
At least that's what you thought, until you hit The Wall. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could help you overcome this obstacle. "It's not you, it's me," the document said, but that doesn't really matter at this point, does it? All of the time you have spent with the story has come to nothing. It's over.
What you you do now? Well, you could decide to scrap the project and start on something new. Or, you could get super intense and do a complete overhaul. A re-write.
While the words "complete re-write" may strike fear into the hearts of many writers, it doesn't have to. Here are some ways to make the rewriting process as smooth and painless as possible:
1. Block out the story.
This is a quick, easy trick that can make all the difference in the world. Review the parts of the story that you have and write short summaries of each scene. Don't go in depth. Only block out the important parts of the plot, the important emotions, and maybe the themes and world building you felt were important to inject.
Now ask yourself: Where do I want this story to go? How do I want the story to end? Block out those scenes, too.
Next, take a step back and look at all of the scenes you've blocked out. What parts stick out as not quite right? Sometimes massive portions of the story will jump out at you as entirely wrong. Other times, only very small pieces of the plot will strike you as slightly odd. Highlighted these problem areas.
Note: If you are plotter, you may be tempted to create an outline for the story rather than blocking it out. Do not do this. Blocking out the story is less structured and will you see the story a new light.
2. Identify what makes the problem areas problematic.
What about them made your story go off the rails? Maybe the themes were wrong. Maybe the character arc went in completely the wrong direction. Maybe the plot was too open (or perhaps too constrictive). Underneath your scene blocks, jot down ideas for how to correct these mistakes. You'll probably have quite a few, so just let the ideas flow.
3. Re-block the story.
Your notes from point number 2 will be very helpful during this process. Also remember that you'll need to keep two things in mind as you re-block this story: 1) the highlighted problem areas that you need to completely delete or rework. 2) Your end. Remember how you asked yourself where you want the story to go, then blocked those ending scenes out? That needs to be in the forefront of your mind when you are re-working your story. Here's why:
Stories tend to require re-writing when they've gone completely off the rails. Stories go completely off the rails when we, as writers, lose sight of exactly where the story is supposed to head. We've already made this mistake once (thus the re-write), so we really want to make sure to avoid this problem the second time around.
4. Take a step back.
Once you're finished re-blocking the story, take a break, then come back to it. Do any of these new blocked scenes strike you as odd? Do any of them seem like they will be hard to pull off? Do any of them seem like they aren't going to take your story to its targeted end? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then you're going to have to go back and re-block the entire thing all over again. Sometimes it's helpful to tell somebody else your idea for the rewrite, as they will be able to easily identify weak spots that you might overlook. Or, if you're antisocial, you can simply find a nice-looking wall and recite you every re-blocked story idea to it. This sounds weird, but talking out loud absolutely helps.
5. Start writing in a new document.
Do not, I repeat, do not, start rewriting within the same document. Open up an entirely new one and start from scratch. Yes, you can have the old story open in another window, but you don't want to be working in this exact same document. You want to save this old document as is because it is your baseline. You'll need to refer back to it from time to time. If you change the original document, you'll basically be cutting holes in your safety net.
6. Copy and paste what you can.
By looking at your new scene blocking, you'll see that there should be at least some portions of your story that you can still use. Don't be afraid to copy and pasted over into your new document. There's no use in wasting words. That being said, make sure to rework these scenes if any of them are leading into the problem areas that you have highlighted earlier.
7. Be patient and proud.
Don't let yourself feel rushed or overwhelmed during this process. Rewriting can seem daunting, but it's a normal part of the writing process. Give yourself grace, and be proud that you took the step to rewrite (rather than giving up or deciding to push forward and publish a subpar story).
You may have to re-block the story several times during this process, but keep going. You got this.
What are your tips for doing a complete re-write? I'd love to hear them!
Related articles:
Macro and Micro Editing: What They Are and How to Use Them to Fix Your Story12 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Beta Reader FeedbackHow to Know When to Stop Editing Your Novel
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, please don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon affiliate. Thank you for your support!
But then things started to go south. At first, the signs were minimal. Some shaky character arc, slightly askew world building, but nothing that you couldn't fix with some good editing.
At least that's what you thought, until you hit The Wall. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could help you overcome this obstacle. "It's not you, it's me," the document said, but that doesn't really matter at this point, does it? All of the time you have spent with the story has come to nothing. It's over.
What you you do now? Well, you could decide to scrap the project and start on something new. Or, you could get super intense and do a complete overhaul. A re-write.
While the words "complete re-write" may strike fear into the hearts of many writers, it doesn't have to. Here are some ways to make the rewriting process as smooth and painless as possible:
1. Block out the story.
This is a quick, easy trick that can make all the difference in the world. Review the parts of the story that you have and write short summaries of each scene. Don't go in depth. Only block out the important parts of the plot, the important emotions, and maybe the themes and world building you felt were important to inject.
Now ask yourself: Where do I want this story to go? How do I want the story to end? Block out those scenes, too.
Next, take a step back and look at all of the scenes you've blocked out. What parts stick out as not quite right? Sometimes massive portions of the story will jump out at you as entirely wrong. Other times, only very small pieces of the plot will strike you as slightly odd. Highlighted these problem areas.
Note: If you are plotter, you may be tempted to create an outline for the story rather than blocking it out. Do not do this. Blocking out the story is less structured and will you see the story a new light.
2. Identify what makes the problem areas problematic.
What about them made your story go off the rails? Maybe the themes were wrong. Maybe the character arc went in completely the wrong direction. Maybe the plot was too open (or perhaps too constrictive). Underneath your scene blocks, jot down ideas for how to correct these mistakes. You'll probably have quite a few, so just let the ideas flow.
3. Re-block the story.
Your notes from point number 2 will be very helpful during this process. Also remember that you'll need to keep two things in mind as you re-block this story: 1) the highlighted problem areas that you need to completely delete or rework. 2) Your end. Remember how you asked yourself where you want the story to go, then blocked those ending scenes out? That needs to be in the forefront of your mind when you are re-working your story. Here's why:
Stories tend to require re-writing when they've gone completely off the rails. Stories go completely off the rails when we, as writers, lose sight of exactly where the story is supposed to head. We've already made this mistake once (thus the re-write), so we really want to make sure to avoid this problem the second time around.
4. Take a step back.
Once you're finished re-blocking the story, take a break, then come back to it. Do any of these new blocked scenes strike you as odd? Do any of them seem like they will be hard to pull off? Do any of them seem like they aren't going to take your story to its targeted end? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then you're going to have to go back and re-block the entire thing all over again. Sometimes it's helpful to tell somebody else your idea for the rewrite, as they will be able to easily identify weak spots that you might overlook. Or, if you're antisocial, you can simply find a nice-looking wall and recite you every re-blocked story idea to it. This sounds weird, but talking out loud absolutely helps.
5. Start writing in a new document.
Do not, I repeat, do not, start rewriting within the same document. Open up an entirely new one and start from scratch. Yes, you can have the old story open in another window, but you don't want to be working in this exact same document. You want to save this old document as is because it is your baseline. You'll need to refer back to it from time to time. If you change the original document, you'll basically be cutting holes in your safety net.
6. Copy and paste what you can.
By looking at your new scene blocking, you'll see that there should be at least some portions of your story that you can still use. Don't be afraid to copy and pasted over into your new document. There's no use in wasting words. That being said, make sure to rework these scenes if any of them are leading into the problem areas that you have highlighted earlier.
7. Be patient and proud.
Don't let yourself feel rushed or overwhelmed during this process. Rewriting can seem daunting, but it's a normal part of the writing process. Give yourself grace, and be proud that you took the step to rewrite (rather than giving up or deciding to push forward and publish a subpar story).
You may have to re-block the story several times during this process, but keep going. You got this.
What are your tips for doing a complete re-write? I'd love to hear them!
Related articles:
Macro and Micro Editing: What They Are and How to Use Them to Fix Your Story12 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Beta Reader FeedbackHow to Know When to Stop Editing Your Novel
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, please don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Some links are Amazon affiliate. Thank you for your support!
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