I come in contact with diverse people from different walks of life -- students, trade folks, techies, professionals, parents, retirees, creators, doers, talkers, thinkers and even a few other writers. Yet, overwhelmingly, people look at me with surprise, curiosity or a supportive sadness, when I say that I am starting a rewrite of my book. The misconception appears strong that completing a book's rough draft means that one is virtually finished. I experience sparse understanding about the role of rewrites in authoring a novel.
Here are several things rewrites are not (primarily):
- copy editing -- checking for spelling, punctuation, grammar, clarity, word use, etc.
- an indication of flawed writing, or the need to "fix" a problem
- quick and simple
- rare or few in number
- the "polish" on a mostly finished product
- optional (especially for those of us who plan to publish)
So what is a rewrite? I'll share what I have discovered in my next post.
If only . . .
ReplyDeleteIf only a rewrite was something you did to make the thing legible. Life would be so much simpler. As the spouse of this author, I can tell you that a re-write is what it sounds like -- she's practically tearing it down and rebuilding it. For example, she changed the main protagonist. What I can also reveal is that this is a labor of love. She's having a ball. I am envious.
I can't imagine NOT having to do a rewrite after completing a first draft of a novel. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Smash! You're way ahead of most. WAY.
ReplyDeleteWhen I said I had finished my rough draft folks said, "When does it come out for sale?" So I'd mention a rewrite and hear, "Isn't that what spell-checkers [or copy editors] are for?"
I bet you've explored writing more thoroughly than the majority of joes and jills out there.