If you’re like me, rough drafts are like love affairs. You pour your passion onto the page, writing quickly as you try and get the emotion of your story onto the page. But after everything’s said and done, by the last page you’re not quite sure what you’re left with. There’s good intentions in those first drafts, but they often lack structure and perfection.
In order to turn your novel into a doting significant other, you need to spend a lot of time with it. Specifically, writing and rewriting until you’ve got a cohesive, moving story instead of a piece of work riddled with plot holes and clunky characters.
Whether I’m rewriting a novel or screenplay, the process is always the same. I’ve written (and rewritten) six novels and five features at this point, and I’ve finally settled on a foolproof system that works for me. Use what works for you and disregard what doesn’t: writing is a craft we must learn for ourselves.
Here are my six steps to rewriting your own work: [Read more…]
