This week: Take a Story and Rewrite It Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Short Stories Newsletter by Dawn
A substantial part of writing is done in the process of rewriting, revising and editing. Some enjoy it while others may prefer the first draft process more. |
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When it comes to writing short stories, there are many stages and elements that we could discuss in a newsletter and most topics get brought up on more than one occasion here. There are certain aspects worth bringing up from the different perspective of the varying newsletter editors and for today, the topic worth mentioning is that of rewriting. Writing the first draft is important and we're nearing the month of first draft novels, aka NaNoWriMo, but that is only the beginning. Often a story really doesn't take full shape until after a few rewrites.
"Very first thing in the morning, I spew some rough genius directly on to the laptop. Then I have coffee and rewrite for three hours." - Kevin Barry
The rewrite can refer to the second draft of a story (novel, poem or any other type of writing) or can mean draft 3, 4, 5 or Q or whatever labeling process you have. There are varying levels of changes that get made during them. A rewrite can be a complete overhaul of the story so that it barely resembles what got written the first time around. Or it could be tiny changes where it takes a trained eye to really spot the differences with the main components staying the same. The occasional rewrite will look more like an edit, which can be similar but a different process. No matter how the pot gets stirred, in the end it's an important aspect of writing a story.
One way to look at rewrites is through that of an artists. Take clay for example. You can start out with a huge mound. First give it the general shape desired for the project. It starts to form and some could just quit there but then it lacks the detail that really makes the soul within come to life. So, you keep going, widdling down or building up, depending on how the process goes in the moment, and as you do so, something develops until you reach a final masterpiece. And by final, I mean until you give up and decide it's done. My painting professor liked to say a painting was never really finished, just abandoned because there is always a way to re-do or revise but there comes a time when you have to let go and move on to something else. Writing can be like that. You can rewrite a million times but eventually need to pick a stopping point.
The process to a rewrite can be different and very personal. Since there are varying degrees to change and not every story is going to have the same requirements, you can go into each one fresh and go from there. Of you can develop your own writing and rewriting rituals to follow.
"My only writing ritual is to shave my head bald between writing the first and second drafts of a book. If I can throw away all my hair, then I have the freedom to trash any part of the book on the next rewrite." - Chuck Palahniuk
Don't worry, one doesn't have to shave their head each time they do a rewrite and let's face it, that would be far too extreme in the case of short stories in particular, but still, Palahniuk does have an interesting approach when it comes to prep between a draft and a rewrite. And a good point. Even if it's a short story we can't be afraid to cut out or throw away parts of the writing. And by that, with rewrite I recommend just not writing them into the next draft. You could print and physically throw out but still keep the first copy somewhere as a guiding point and to see where it all started. Though I did have a poetry writing professor in college have us print out a poem and physically cut the paper to take things out and move them around for a rewrite. Having a physical method does make for an interesting result and might even be worth trying on a short story.
Either way, no matter your method, if you need to do a complete overhaul into a very different story or just tweak small aspects, when it comes to the process of writing a story, the rewrite is key (or king, or whatever kind of phrase you want to use). It's an important aspect. So, what I recommend today is you take out a story that has a finished, or almost finished, first draft. Look it over then give it a rewrite. See what you can develop more out of that particular lump of clay and keep working on your craft.
"All we do as songwriters is rewrite the songs that have impressed us till we find our own voice. It's part of learning the craft." - Steve Earle
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What is your rewriting process or ritual?
"Novels are like paintings, specifically watercolors. Every stroke you put down you have to go with. Of course you can rewrite, but the original strokes are still there in the texture of the thing." - Joan Didion
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Short Stories: August 28, 2019 Issue [#9732]
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