Thread: the dreaded rewrite

Richard Laymon, in his Rules of Writing article found here, lists three different types of writer personality disorders, and I am suffering from two of these: Works in Progress Syndrom and Quitties.

I finished the first draft of a novel, my WIP, this time last year. I let it rot on my bookcase for a couple weeks before reading it. My initial excitement dwindled as I read and realized this is going to need a lot of work.

Two months and two rewrites later, I found what the problem was: the timeline was flitting in and out of past and present like a time machine gone haywire. I couldn't believe I had written it this way and that I didn't realize it sooner! So I tore apart the novel chapter by chapter and placed them in sequential order. After a reread things finally started to make sense.

So I got to work.

Then college started. Full time student with part time job. I went from writing four to five hours a day to one hour a day.

Despite this, my novel is getting in readable shape. However, there are times that I lack interest in putting anymore work into it. Plus I have this new idea that is begging to be fleshed out.

According to Laymon I am suffering from Quitties and Work in Progress Syndrom.

Quitties because I want to quit and start a new novel.

WIP Syndrom because this is my fourth novel and I don't know if it will ever be in publishable shape; I've been working on the editing phase forever! (The other three novels are in my drawer and probably wont be worked on again.)

I want something readable and needless to say publishable. I don't want to be one of those writers that write a novel, put it in a drawer, write another one, put that in the drawer, and never have a finished product that reflects the time I put into it.

If I wasn't in school this would be a non-issue as I could spend a couple hours a day on the rewrite and another couple hours on the new idea. But as it is I only have an hour to write what I need to write!

Anyone have advice? Is this the normal way to feel during the editing phase? I keep telling myself to push through it at get it readable. But with school that'll take another three or four months.

Thanks!

Three or four months does not sound like forever, you could waste some time here, take six months over it, and still be finished this year.

Welcome to the world of forum

I think it's pretty normal looking at the first draft and wanting to punch out your laptop. The first draft is kind of like a crude, freshly mined piece of ore with a diamond hiding it, waiting to be unearthed, cut and polished. I've sort of learned from experience that though a draft may look hopeless, given enough work it will shine.

I say yeah, keep at it, keep editing, and the novel will get more readable and you'll get better at editing. One way I look at it is, it's all about end goals. What point is a first draft if you don't plan on getting to the last draft? Reminding yourself what you're working towards may help you stay motivated.

Having finished three novels already, I'm thinking that you're more likely suffering from a fear of success. I hope I'm not jumping to conclusions here, but my view here partly stems from the idea that you've not shown many (any) people your other novels. If you had, I'd expect to see some comment about whether you thought they were good, along with whether other people liked them. So my point here is, if you don't put them out there, then you'll never get anything published.

Most people are overly critical of their own work. They want to present something that reflects their skills. If they fear they are not 'up to scratch' then they often back away from completing work and having to move onto the stage where they get appraised by others. Oddly, it's not just the fear of not being good enough that prompts this reservation, but the fear of being good enough. Because being good at writing means your life changes in ways you may not be ready for.

If you were to get a publishing deal, and suddenly have an easy (roughly) $30k in the bank, then you'd not have to work part time this year. In fact, you may decide that college isn't for you. Writing full time may be a good option if it makes you money. Putting your work out there risks your current goals (assuming you're not studying to be a writer).

You might take a look at your motivations in why you're thinking of changing to a new novel. Is it the new idea that's grabbed you, or is there something else driving this 'excuse'?


And as Olly said; writing takes a lot of time. How quickly you write has little to do with how well you write. Some authors spend several (as many as seven or more) years on one book. Some authors spit out drivel in a few months. It really depends on how good you are and how you want to present yourself. Don't worry about the time it takes.. at the end of the day, you're not really gaining or losing much by taking your time with it.

Your replies made me feel much better.

Kris, you are right. Besides the one short story I showed only to my closest friend, I haven't let anyone read anything else. When it comes to others reading what I write anxiety takes over and I freeze; I think my current WIP isn't good enough and that I should start on the next idea, the "this one is the one I'll let everyone read" idea. I've said that about six times and have yet to follow through on the promise.

The work seems insurmountable, especially when I learn something new and want to incorporate the idea in the story. Which happens often.

Thanks for your help, I'm motivated again!

There may be a simple solution that will be of use to you.

If the problem is not feeling good enough, but wanting/needing to know, you might be able to get away with passing on a copy of your novel with a 'white lie'. You explain that the novel was written by someone else (maybe 'blame' someone here), and that they're looking for an unbiased review of the work. Thus they need someone that doesn't know them to give some feedback on what they like and dislike about the novel.

You remove the risk of someone connecting you with the work, so if they don't like it, you can keep your secret and try to improve your work (utilising the feedback they pass over). If they like it, you can accept that the work is good because they have provided you with an unbiased review. But remember that if they don't like the work, it doesn't mean it's bad.. they may have different interests and preferences. Take any criticism in a positive way; that there are steps you can make to improve your work.

At the end of the day, you've got three (nearly four) chances of getting something published. You're just not confident enough to take those chances, yet. Deal with that confidence, and you may have a career that you truly enjoy (which is also my way of saying 'look towards the positives rather than the negatives').