Rewriting

Although you've spent some time building stories and likely rewriting, we haven't directly spoken about how to bring out the best versions of your writing.

Rewriting is crucial because it allows us to:

Refine our story's concept and structure
Enhance scene dynamics and character depth
Improve the rhythm and pacing of our narrative
Tighten our language and dialogue
Ensure consistency in plot and character arcs

There are several stages we can consider what’s on the page, some of which we’ve been practicing already:

Feedback
Assess what needs to be fixed
Rewrite

Let's explore each stage in detail.

Feedback

Evaluation from others

Feedback from others is a crucial step in refining your writing. It provides fresh perspectives and helps identify areas for improvement that you might have missed. To get the most valuable input, consider the following sources:

Paid professional editors
Writing coaches
First readers (trusted individuals, fans, or fellow writers)

As you gather feedback, aim to develop a reliable "brain trust" - a group of individuals whose opinions you trust and value. When requesting feedback, always ask for honest, critical assessments. "Nice" or half-hearted feedback doesn't help you grow as a writer.

For effective feedback:

Seek balanced, critical assessments
Avoid those who only praise or overly criticize
Develop focused, open-ended questions for your readers. You don’t want yes/no questions but ones that require a sentence to answer. For example:
- “Which parts of the story didn’t work for you?”
- “What do you think this scene is about?”
- “Who do you think is this story about and why?”

While critical assessments can be difficult to hear, they are essential for your growth as a writer. Embrace constructive criticism as a tool for improvement, and you'll see your writing skills develop over time.

Personal evaluation

Taking time away from your work is necessary before evaluating it yourself. Once you've had some distance, pick it up and read it with fresh eyes. As you read, consider your emotional response to the piece:

Did you enjoy it?
Did it evoke any emotions - laughter, tears, or others?
If not, why not? What is it missing?

If your work makes you wince or feel uncomfortable, you might need more time away from it. However, if it's been a considerable time and you still feel dissatisfied, it may be time to move on to a new project.

As you develop as a writer, you'll need to balance confidence with critical assessment. Consider these points:

Self-assessment is a skill that improves with practice
Be aware of your tendencies: Do you tend to be overly critical or not enough?
Seek feedback from others to gain perspective and challenge your assumptions
The more you write and analyze your work, the better you'll become at recognizing its strengths and weaknesses
Learn to question your work constructively without undermining your confidence

Also, creating a story you enjoy is important, but keep your target market in mind. Get a clear picture of who you are writing for and craft your story toward them.

A.I.

The use of AI in creative writing can be controversial, but like computers and typewriters before it, AI can be a helpful tool to assist you in telling your story. When used responsibly, it offers an alternative perspective on your work.

AI tools can assist writers by providing feedback on the following:

Writing mechanics (grammar, punctuation, spelling)
Style and readability
Tone analysis and consistency
Content organization and development
Idea generation and brainstorming

Two popular AI tools for writing feedback are:

Claude: Useful for in-depth analysis, creative suggestions, and idea generation. As well, your conversations with it aren’t fed back into the model
Grammarly: Excellent for grammar, spelling, style checks, and tone analysis

However, it's crucial to remember that AI tools have significant limitations. They can make mistakes, get confused, forget details, and struggle with complex narratives. Ultimately, it can feel intelligent one second and quite dumb the next.

Always approach AI feedback critically, and don't rely on it exclusively for your creative decisions.

Assess what needs to be fixed

When approaching rewriting, you may not want to take it on all at once. You could tackle different levels individually: concept, structure, scene, action and response, diction, and character

As we go through each one, consider whether elements need to be added, subtracted, rearranged, or remixed.

Concept

When assessing your work at the conceptual level, ask yourself:

Is this story idea strong enough to carry an entire narrative?
Does it offer something unique or compelling to your audience?

Consider whether to continue with the current concept, set it aside for later development, or potentially discard it if it's not working.

A great story begins with good foundations, so it's worth clarifying whether you need to refine and solidify its concept.

Structure

When crafting your story, think of the structure like the supports of a bridge. The stronger they are, the more they can hold the weight of your story.

Break your story into beats and visualize its shape. This process helps you see the overall flow and identify potential issues before they become deeply ingrained in your work.

As you analyze your story's structure, look for:

A balance between plot and characters
Consistency in tone and pace
Dead scenes or acts that slow the story
Areas lacking tension or forward momentum

A well-structured story isn't about rigid rules but creating a satisfying experience. You're building an emotional rollercoaster, and you need to give it highs and lows and keep your audience wanting to see what's around the next bend. Reviewing your structure is the perfect time to craft this.

Scene

Every scene in your story should serve a purpose. Before you commit to a scene, ask yourself why it's there and if you're willing to fight for its inclusion. A strong scene is dramatic, engaging the reader from the start with a clear want, obstacle, action, response, and outcome (WOARO).

Effective scenes should:

Create conflict or tension
Move the plot forward
Reveal character traits or development
Enhance or develop the story's setting

Remember, scenes create the rhythm and pulse of your story.

Again, visualize your story's structure by sketching it out. This can help you see how each scene contributes to the overall flow and pacing or where the plot overwhelms character moments (or vice versa).

The goal is to make sure every scene pulls its weight. If it isn't serving something, then why is it there?

Action/Response

Action and response form the backbone of compelling scenes. As you craft your story, consider how events unfold and characters react. Aim for a natural rise in tension and minimize exposition—cut whatever you can without losing essential information.

Key considerations for scene dynamics:

Natural progression: Does the scene build cleanly towards an outcome?
Movement: Avoid static scenes; ensure there's progression or change
Pacing: Check for abrupt jumps or skipped important beats
Character arc: By the scene's end, is your character in a different place (physically or emotionally)?

Remember, compelling scenes show rather than tell; action and response are the keys to creating this.

Language and Diction

Refining your language and diction is crucial for creating a polished, engaging story. The key is to be ruthless in editing: cut unnecessary words, eliminate repetition, and ensure your writing is clear and concise. Remember, your primary job is to tell the story, not to over-describe every detail.

Focus on these aspects when reviewing your work:

Proofread for spelling, grammar, and punctuation
Maintain consistent formatting throughout
Evaluate each word's purpose and impact
Show rather than tell, visualizing the story tension on the page
Reduce on-the-nose dialogue heavy with exposition and plot

After editing, reread your work aloud and to others. This practice helps catch awkward phrasing and pacing issues. Consider reading sections backward to focus on individual sentences without getting caught up in the flow of the story.

Character

Characters are the soul of your story, and their development is crucial for engaging the audience.

Start by creating a proper introduction for each character, including their name in CAPS, age, and essence (which isn't always about physical appearance).

To help maintain their consistency throughout your story, focus on:

Distinct voices: Read each character's dialogue aloud to ensure uniqueness
Clear motivations: Every character should have a want that's revealed in their actions and dialogue.
Consistent actions: Characters should remain decisive, not reflect your confusion.
Realistic obstacles: Ensure the challenges characters face are genuine. Forced obstacles create false drama.
Authenticity: Actions and words should align with the character's personality.

Revisit your character descriptions and motivations regularly as you write. Read each character out loud, without description or other dialogue, to ensure they don't all sound the same.

Each character has an essence and a presence in your story. They want something, and they'll either get it or not. Understanding this is your key to shaping each of their journeys.

My Path to Rewriting

While the notes I share above provide valuable guidance for story structure and character development, it's important to understand that the rewriting process is highly personal and ever-evolving.

My writing partner and I have developed our own approach to rewriting, which we've found works well for us. This method, outlined below, showcases our path and highlights the flexibility inherent in the rewriting process.

Start with a strong base. Take the time to build a solid outline.
Get the story on paper. Stick to the plan. Don't spend time rewriting.
Take a rest.
Reread it. Fix what makes you cringe, spelling and grammar, things that make you stumble.
Take time off.
Reread it again. You may know its weaknesses. Get it closer to good or great. Also, make sure you enjoy it.
Keep taking time off and reading it until it flows.
Hand it to readers. Readers of the story. Editors (that you pay) that will call out all of its problems.
Never have an ego. Listen to those who want the best version of your story.
Take all the notes and fix all of them.
Reread it again and correct mistakes. Every edit is a fracture point.
Reread it again or give it to others.
Sell it to the world.

Our process has grown and changed over time, and we expect it will continue to do so as we gain more experience and insight.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to rewriting; what matters most is finding a method that works for you and allows your story to reach its full potential.

Wrapping Up Rewriting

Rewriting is an ongoing process that involves multiple passes through your work. As you refine your story, keep these final notes in mind:

Delete all unnecessary elements. Repeat.
Use plenty of white space
Aim to cut about 10% at every level (story, act, scene, paragraph, sentence)
Ensure WOARO (Want, Obstacle, Action, Response, Outcome) is working — it's fundamental to your story

These principles apply throughout the rewriting journey. The process involves building and iterating, constantly evaluating and considering your work, and practicing consistently. Applying these methods will hone your craft and improve your story with each revision.