The Writing Process

I recently read that key to good writing is rewriting.

I can only agree.

First drafts are rough by definition. A first draft is the story pounded out, capturing the idea, capturing the characters and what they do and why. It is hurried, and scatty, poorly spelt, grammatically challenged and rough. It is why it is called a draft. It is by no means the finished product nor should it be sent anywhere.

The rewriting or redrafting process is going to be different for everyone. Some ideas work for some and not others. One published author I follow via her blog does one rewrite/redraft and she is done. Another published author I have met pounds out her draft and sends (unread) to the publisher.

The whole idea makes me cringe. Perhaps it is because so much changes for me over the first draft. Perhaps because I write over a longer time period – with a day job in the middle. Perhaps I just lack confidence.

Whatever the reason, I rework my stories. All of them; short and long.

I read through the entire story making notes both on the pages and on a separate sheet of major problems, name changes, place, making sure the story is consistent with where I want it to be.

I then rework it, moving through page by page to ensure the story is smooth, the description is adequate, the characters have depth, the grammar works and the spelling is improved.

I let it rest. I read through again. Then rework again. And I do this as many times as I need to, to make it good. Or at least as good as it could be. There is a point where this needs to stop.  For a novel I may work through the entire piece three or four times. I may only go through twice.

This is my process and it may not work for everyone. But then everyone writes differently. I start writing from the spark of an idea and see where it goes. Then I’ll think about how to make it into something special. That is where the planning comes in. Others like to plan right from the start.

You may remember a previous post about mapping out a trilogy on index cards. This has had to wait a bit while I continue with my current story, but it is still there. I have the first novel mapped out. I hope to have the following two at the same stage before I start writing. That will be a change in process for me and I’m keen to see how it goes. It just has to wait until I have finished my current fantasy novel.

Happy Scribbling