5 Things I'll Examine During a Reread
This blog is a quick aside from the series I’m working on for you about things I’ve learned from reading. I thought you might enjoy an update on where I’m at in the process for The Messy Truth About Love. For the sake of this blog, I think it’s important to define what I mean by “reread.” Rather than drawing a favorite book I’ve read and plan to read again from the shelf, in the context of what I’m sharing here, I’m referencing the rereading of The Messy Truth About Love (or any work in progress). Now that our brains are functioning on the same wavelength…
After a month away from The Messy Truth About Love, the beta feedback has been returned. With those external observations and questions swirling around in my head, it’s time to sit down and reread the story to prepare for a hefty revision. Why hefty? This is the one where the missing puzzle pieces get fitted into place, which often changes existing portions of the narrative and requires lots of rewriting.
When I reread the draft—with the rule that I am not allowed to edit (and it is so hard)—I have a few things I am consciously observing to help me with the rewrite. Here are five of them:
Character Arcs:If you’ve read any of my books, you probably have noticed that they tend to be very character driven. My narrative philosophy seems to operate on the assumption that the story isn’t really a story without the characters driving it. In The Messy Truth About Love, the two protagonists—it’s dual perspective—Hannah and Seth drive the story. When I reread, I want to pay attention to each character’s growth from beginning to end. I’m observing their motives and how those might shift throughout, their wants versus their needs, the way they interact with others being consistent and true to those motives. Finally, I need to see that where they end up is believable, and if it isn't what did I miss along the way?
Narrative structure, Plot holes & Pacing:Another thing I’m rereading to study is how the story flows from beginning to end. I’m examining each scene for its purpose in the narrative structure. I often ask myself if it’s purposeful to the whole story? Is it working hard enough? Should Seth kiss Hannah there? Would Hannah share that kind of information so soon? I’m looking for the gaps in the story where the reader is having to take giant leaps from one plot point to the next to determine if there are holes I need to fill or scenes that need to be moved or cut. Finally, I’m paying attention to my experience to find out where the pacing slows or stalls.
Situational Awareness:One thing I hate when I’m reading a story is when a character behaves out of character. This is a sure way for me to put the book down and resist picking it up again. When I’m rereading, I noticed characters shift as they grow, but the essence of “who they are” doesn’t. Consider yourself for a moment. When faced with a tragedy, you will remain true to who you are. You will behave in a way that communicates the deep-seeded beliefs of your person forged through your experiences. A character’s behavior, dialogue, choices should ring true to not only their character development but should be rooted in the reality of what has shaped them. When incongruence exists, it leaves space for the reader to put down the book (and I definitely don’t want that).
Big Questions:Every writer says it, and I will keep saying it, the first draft never gets it right. That’s why we draft again and again. Case in point: this revision will be The Messy Truth About Love’s fourth draft. And still, having sent the third draft to beta readers, there were still questions that needed to be answered. As I reread—again—I’ll be searching for those big questions. Those need to be addressed in the next revision.
Satisfying “The End”: There’s nothing worse than going on a journey with a character and in those final moments, stepping into a lackluster resolution. When that happens, I close the book and think: Wow, that was a giant waste of time. I hate that! I hope to never do that to a reader. So as I reread, I’m thinking about that end, really wanting to make sure that emotional payoff from the opening page to the final one hits just right. If it doesn’t provide that “I’m so glad I read this” feeling in the reread, I know I better rewrite it.
Then there are lots of nitty gritty things I’m paying attention to as well in a reread. Like are there spots that need more research? Or did I offer enough description for the setting? And am I noticing any symbols or motifs that I wasn’t aware of that I should take a closer look at in a rewrite? When I reach this point in the writing process, I’m adding layers to the story to hopefully make it an overall rich reading experience for the reader.
And that’s that, my friends. Where I’m at and what I’m up to for the next month before I get this next draft off to the editor. With a July publication date in sight (a full three months earlier than my usual October release date), I’m feeling the pressure. So… I’m off to reread.
