Rewrite

[M-Y-Erotica]

I didn't see anything which focused exclusively on this, so forgive me if it has been covered.

Anyway, when I write a story, I am always re-writing it based on my own reading or suggestions from an editor. I fix awkwardness here, change a word there, add a couple sentences to make this item better, cut words that aren't doing anything. For a simple short story, probably 2-3 weeks go by between writing the first words and submitting it. I finish the story. Force myself to take a few days away from it. Then I re-write.

But those revisions are really always just tweaks. Little things to make it better.

Does anyone ever rewrite from scratch? You finish the story and you like it, but instead of just making little adjustments, you start over, hoping to find an even better way to do everything since you now know the story so well?

What is your revision process?

 

[rgraham666]

I usually have the flesh and bones of a story down by the end of the first draft.

After that is what I call 'hand polishing'. I go through it again, and again, and again, each time tweaking it a little.

I have yet completely reworked a piece. Been thinking about it for some of my earlier pieces though.

 

[cloudy]

I've been thinking about redoing a couple of my first stories here at Lit. The first one is *wince* written in second person POV, and I hate it, even though I think it's a decent story aside from that.

I'm one of those that edits as I write. It makes for a long, slow process in writing anything, but there's very little editing to be done when I'm finished.

 

[yui]

I'm one of those that edits as I write. It makes for a long, slow process in writing anything, but there's very little editing to be done when I'm finished.

What she said.

Only she writes much, much quicker than I do.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I just write. I take off and let the story tell itself. I may change ideas, plots, subplots, etc. mid stream, but I don't go back and deal with the earlier false starts until it's done. needless to say my revision process is very long.

 

[cloudy]

What she said.

Only she writes much, much quicker than I do.

don't be so sure of that.

 

[cantdog]

I had only one I did a really big change to. Mostly it's 'hand-polishing' along the lines suggested by rgraham.

 

[elsol]

I'm not a polisher...

I dismantle every story/chapter after the first draft and rebuild it.

I need to see something on the page to better access what's inside my head.

Sincerley,
ElSol

 

[M-Y-Erotica]

handwrite then type

One thing that does often work well for me is if I write a section out by hand and then go to type it up. I have the handwritten one right there so I don't lose anything good that was in it, but I hardly ever type it word for word. I end up adding stuff, dropping stuff, perhaps a little more forcefully than I would if I were editing something already typed.

 

[English Lady]

I tend to just type from beginning to end, very rarely do i delete chunks but I have decided to change point of view throught a whole story once it's finished.

I have taken out big chunks from two of my recent pieces, and once i've done it, I've found the writing goes much easier

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I need to see something on the page to better access what's inside my head.

Sincerley,
ElSol

Me too. Writing for me is something like one-third creativity and two-thirds discovery. If the story's any good, I rarely know what it's about until I've written it. Then I can look at it and say, "Oh, I get it. It's about betrayal," or "This girl's such a bitch! I'll bet she was lying about herself from the start." When that happens, I almost always have to go back and rip out big chunks and rebuild them to give it coherence. I consider those revisions or rewrites, not editing.

I try to save my editing for the end, after the story's bones are in place, although I do in-process editing too. Sometimes when I get stuck, or I've been away from the story, I'll start by doing some editing as a way of getting back into it before I start writing again.

Revision can be very hard to do. You've written something and you like it, but it just doesn't fit and so it has to go. It's like amputating a leg to save the patient. It has to be done.

 

[impressive]

I'm one of those that edits as I write. It makes for a long, slow process in writing anything, but there's very little editing to be done when I'm finished.

We were separated at birth.

 

[oggbashan]

I tend to edit as I go. I keep all the various drafts titled with version numbers e.g. 'The Giant Squid v1', v2, v3 etc and then the final version is just 'The Giant Squid.

If I am thinking about a complete rewrite I put the story so far in another folder of incomplete stories and I may leave it there. There are so many in that folder that it has sub-folders 2002, 2003, 2004, 2004 and further sub-folders for series e.g. Silverbridge.

When my muses are not co-operating I open those folders and read the drafts. That doesn't usually restart the story but can suggest another story.

Here, to show you what I mean, is an example from my incomplete folder:



Title and copyright page

The Bustle

*************************************************

Copyright Oggbashan December 2002
The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author
of this work.

This is a work of fiction. The events described here are
imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not
intended to represent specific places or living persons.

This story is a sequel to "The Scarf Dance" and is part of my
series "The Silverbridge Chronicles" although it can be read on
its own.

*************************************************
File BUSTLE Version 001 21 December 2002

The Bustle

I was fed up. I had been "volunteered" again by the football club
for a costume event. I like being a player in the Ladies' First
Team, "The Silver Vixens", but some of the club events leave me
cold. This was one of them.

The Board had decided to have an 1890s Dinner. They would have
some of the memorabilia from that era on display, the team
photos, the trophies, even some of the kit. The Ladies' team kit
was unbelievable. They actually played in calf length skirts with
high laced boots. Their game must have been very slow especially
in the mud which was noticeable in almost all photos of the pitch
at that time. They didn't put in proper drainage for the pitch
until 1910. No. That wasn't something I knew. I picked that up
from the captions with the photos. I only care about winning the
next match. I couldn't care less about history or even last
week's match. History just seems to get me dressed up in
uncomfortable clothes.

The Dinner was an event for the older club members and their
partners. They would all try to turn up in costume. The current
team members would "help" with the dinner. Although there would
be professional waiting staff to serve the dinner, we were asked
to attend as waiters or waitresses to serve the drinks in the
clubroom after the dinner. The men would wear monkey jackets and
braided trousers with short white barman's aprons; the women
would wear black bustled dresses with full length white aprons.
Last time we had a costumed event we drew straws and I and John
lost. (The Scarf Dance)

This time Lisa selected her "volunteers" from the women's team.
She wanted those of us with already noticeable backsides. I was
picked first. I know I've got a big bum but it isn't pleasant to
be unanimously voted as having the backside least in need of
padding. Lisa announced what she wanted and the rest of my
friends shouted "Sheila!".

John likes my buns. He never complains about their size. He loves
poking his nose between them as a change from being face-sat. I
like it too. We have had many happy times with John's nose in my
crack and his hands kneading my backside. I enjoy the sensation
and I can watch television while John is busy. Let me have a pot
of tea, the TV remote control, John's face in my behind and I'm
pleased for hours.

If it had just been a barmaid's job for the older members I
wouldn't have minded. I get on well with most of them, male or
female. It isn't the females that pat my bum as I pass. But what
can I say when the Club Chairman does it? I don't object. I like
being appreciated, if only for my behind. What I object to is
getting dressed up in all-enveloping dresses to do a barmaid's
job. I'd rather be a barmaid with a skimpy skirt and my boobs
hanging out. I know Lisa and some of the others enjoy dressing up
as Victorian Ladies and swinging their crinolines. I just endure
it when they want me to dress up as well.

#

Og