Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter

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Next item on my schedule is rewriting/editing a piece I hate. I consider it a fail. Surprise, surprise, it has been languishing in my short story draft file. I don’t hate the premise, but the story’s execution is weak. There are words, sentences, ideas I may salvage. It requires me to roll up my shirt sleeves, prepare for construction dust, and do Atlas style weight lifting.

I have several of these projects. A few stories have merit, good ideas, a likable character, conflict, the stuff you want in a story.  But they lack the spit and polish needed to shine, and for me to declare the tale good enough for prime time. While I may like these stories the prospect of dissecting, cutting reworking and rehashing them, is unpleasant. However, I want them finished, which leaves me little choice on what I must do.

How do you approach a rewrite or edit?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

12 thoughts on “Daily Quote”

  1. I currently have 24 drafts that I’m editing. Book reviews, thoughts, opinions are resting there. Sometimes, I wonder if I’m overthinking it. Maybe it’s because I’m suddenly aware of the fact that I have an audience. Before, I was writing for myself. Right now, I just work on a little bit day by day. Like this quote for the day!

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    • Wow. That many drafts needed editing would overwhelm me, but one of my drafts is 65,000 words long, which is daunting in itself. I think your idea of doing a little each day is wise. I might have to incorporate a daily editing goal into my writing schedule. Thanks, my friend. 😊

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  2. To be paid to write is a dream of mine. It I suspect knowing you’ve an audience who expects must be a harsh reality and sometime cruel master. At the moment my writing is edited on the hop, for instance my FF can sometimes rattle round my head for days, hence the pretty much always late posting, apart from that one time when all the planets aligned and I cane in at number 7 or something. My advice for what it’s worth would just be to crack on, get the thesaurus out and try and see a rhythm within and between the words, I wouldn’t over do it otherwise it would be like forcing it, anything forced should be shelved, it may see the light of day once again but if it ain’t natural then it ain’t natural.
    Not sure if this is relevant or indeed even good advice but it seems sensible and correct to me!

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