Have you ever picked up something you’ve written more than a year ago and read it again?
It was amazing.
After letting it sit for a year, I was shocked with how much I’ve forgotten. Once I got past all the terrible grammar mistakes I made prior to my editing education, (wow I really have learned a lot!), it was fascinating to read something I didn’t remember—yet I wrote!
It was so strange to actually critique and experience my MS like a reader. So many things were a surprise. I mean, I don’t have dementia. I do remember the large things, but there were many times I actually said to myself, “I can’t wait to see what happens here!”
Crazy, I know, but I do recommend it.
Also, I found I was confused at parts, even though before things made perfect sense. I found those holes and patched them up nicely.
I highly recommend writing, then letting it sit for a long time while you write something else. It is wonderful and so helpful! Still get as many betas as you can (you can NEVER have enough), but it’s always good to let your piece sit long enough so you can see it with fresh eyes.
This is absolutely great advice. I read a story that I had let sit for about a year or so and I know what you mean. Hm, I might even try this with my current MS. Let it sit for a month or two after this edit and then look at it more objectively. I have to save up for an editor anyway. 😀
Happy writing!
I couldn’t believe how much I forgot. The longer you can wait the better and what a great idea to use the time delay to save for more editing!
I let my current wip sit for 8 months, and when I went back to it, I completely re-wrote the entire thing. XD
A complete rewrite! I had a workshop teacher who advised reading your draft, then, without looking at it, rewrite it from memory 😮
I never could do that (my stomach drops just thinking about all that work), but it must be effective. He believed if it didn’t stick out in your mind than it wasn’t great. Maybe one day I’ll get brave enough to try it.
Your workshop teacher’s advice just nearly stopped my heart! Ha! I could never, ever do that. I’m paranoid about having to recreate work. Before the days of cloud back-ups, I used to have back-ups hidden all over the place in case something happened to my computer. (Even back when I started writing in my parents’ basement on a Brother Word Processor, I would back up everything to two 3.5 “floppy” discs!)
Yea, it’s been pretty intense. But it is so much better! the majority of it was a complete POV change, and tightening up of the plot. I did keep some scenes, but they were heavily edited. the beginning and the end are pretty much the same though.
Yep, it’s great advice. I always let manuscripts sit for a few months between drafts. Right now I’m editing my backlist (stories and books from 1994 to last year) for republication and it’s amazing to see how much my writing has grown. (There is also a lot of cringing!) 🙂
I usually put down my MS for a few weeks between drafts, but now I see how it’s a good idea to give a few months between every stage. I love getting books out, but it’ll just give me a reason to get another project started!
I am a SLOW writer, but I have friends who just write ANOTHER entire book while the previous one “cools” for a month or two. I am always impressed by that. 🙂
Sometimes reading my old stuff is like reading the scribbles of a dream you thought had some amazing meaning only to discover that in the morning it makes no sense.
Unfortunately, there is A LOT of that. The good news is, I had no problem using the slash and burn method on those parts!
AMEN to every word you wrote. Stepping away is crucial. Not only does it rest your mind, but it clears it for when you crack open its pages but once again. And yes, betas are way important. Without them, you’ll never find the plot holes or mistakes.
I know a few writers who use a different beta reader between each draft, so each beta can comment on the evolving piece. I thought that was a great idea too if you have some betas to spare. I always feel so bad having my betas read a piece more than once.
This is great advice. If I don’t get any traction on my current novel, I may let it sit for a year and come back to it. The longest I’ve left it is six weeks. I came back to it with fresh eyes to a certain degree, but I didn’t feel like I was reading it as a reader. I can imagine how helpful that would be!
Erin
My memory for certain things (like numbers) is amazing, but for other things (like my own writing) is awful. Re-reading my first novel again after 10 years really was like reading someone else’s work. 🙂
I am not the ideal author to write a multi-volume epic fantasy series over the span of 10 or 20 years. I would never remember where I was going. 🙂
I can’t imagine what it must be like to re-read a novel I published ten years ago. I hope I’ll smile more and cringe less. What did you think of your first works?
That is why I feel rushed to get my four-book series out, I’m afraid I’ll forget what I set out to do! I bet if you wait too long your whole style might change.
I think most of the cringing was because I wrote the novel when I was 20/21 and had no idea how to really write a novel, even though I had a few trunk novels tucked away by then. 🙂 Heck, I don’t think I really know how to write a novel *now,* so I’m sure my 42 year old self in 2022 will be cringing about what I write this year!
Oh, that’s so depressing! Maybe it’s a good rule to not to crack open that cover once it’s published. Let sleeping dogs lie.
Generally speaking, that’s a great idea and one I strongly agree with! But since new editions of my backlist are coming out this year, I had an opportunity to rewrite them before re-publication and there was no way I was going to pass that up! ha! 🙂
It was surreal. I didn’t do it by choice, I just got busy editing/publishing the first two books of my series. Now I’ve learned a good lesson and wished I’d let my first two sit longer.
Great thought.
I’m proud to be your Father!
Dad
Ah, thanks Dad!
This is why I still haven’t looked at my first novel (the one I wrote during Nano). Part scared. Part marinating.
That’s a great way of thinking about it. And just like marinating, the longer the better 🙂
It is fun to reread it. I feel like I am a stranger reading someone else’s work for the first time.