The next item on my schedule is rewriting/editing a piece I hate. I consider it an epic fail. Surprise, surprise, this subpar story is in my short story draft file, ignored, and condemned to languish in a perpetual state of procrastination. I don’t hate the premise, but the story’s execution is weak. There are words, sentences, and ideas I may decide to 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, and believable conflict, the stuff you want in a story.  But they lack the spit, polish, and shine for me to declare them 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