When to rewrite your novel
Lately, a number of people have contacted me requesting feedback for their writing projects. One of the big questions that keeps cropping up is: “Do I need to do a major rewrite?” This is a hard question to answer, and my usual response is: That depends on the details.
With any writing project, large or small, a solid plan and reliable structure are essential. I frequently return to the drawing board and map my work to check that it’s still doing what I originally intended. This is important even if the finish line is in sight – in fact, especially when the finish line is in sight, because by this stage I’m usually so close to my work that I can’t see the flaws anymore.
Mapping my work even at this late stage can be really useful – and it doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll then have to rewrite the entire book. It’s a checkpoint process that identifies areas of strength and weakness, and highlights sections where the story’s focus and the reader’s attention have been diverted.
Before I do any rewriting, I try to objectively analyse my work, chapter by chapter. By unpacking the micro layers of the story, I can identify what’s there, and then decide if anything has to be removed or added. A chapter breakdown also provides me with a much more comprehensive overview of the whole book, and pretty soon I know what’s working and what still needs fixing.
Here are 10 questions I try to answer for each chapter:
- What stage/s of the Hero’s Journey does this chapter reflect? Is it a physical reflection of the journey, a metaphorical one, or both?
- What particular events/characters/themes have been mentioned in this chapter? Do they really belong here? Do I need to move them to an earlier/later chapter?
- How are the characters feeling? Have I shown this for every character, not just the protagonist/s?
- Is every character behaving in character? Does their dialogue reflect their thoughts and feelings?
- What’s happening around the characters? Have I included all the necessary contextual information, e.g. time, season, weather, temperature etc.?
- What is the purpose of this chapter? What does it do to progress the story?
- How do the characters change/develop in this chapter?
- What subplots appear in this chapter? Are they essential to driving the story forward or can I do without them?
- What’s the main emotion/theme/event that drives this chapter and does the language I’ve used reflect this?
- Is the narrative voice consistent with the rest of the story?
Once I’ve completed my analysis at the chapter level, I generally have a much clearer picture of the overarching structure of my book, and this helps identify strengths and flaws.
It also answers the big question: “Do I need to do a major rewrite?”
If you liked this post, you may also like this one or this one.
Some useful resources:
Between the Lines: Master the subtle elements of fiction writing by Jessica Page Morell
The Plot Thickens: 8 ways to bring fiction to life by Noah Lukeman
Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell
Reblogged this on Jcckeith and commented:
I found this really helpful
I glad it was useful, jcckeith.
Thanks for stopping by!
Informative, clever post, my friend!
Thank you.