This month I’m joining the #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop with a look how to stomach a major rework of your manuscript. It’s not something any of us want to do or look forward to doing, but there are instances where we must give it a go. I’ve had some experience with this and thought I’d share some tips. Take a look at what the other authors are sharing on this month’s blog hop here. And thanks for Raimey Gallant for organizing us and for putting this great group of authors together. BTW, we will be taking a break during the holidays. But, watch for more great posts on the #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop in January.
The last thing an author wants to hear from a Beta reader or from an editor is, “Your book would be really great if you started over. Or, at least re-focused the story.” OMG! And you thought you were finished. Now, that troubling piece of feedback begins to gnaw at you. Should you or shouldn’t you? What’s wrong with the story as it is? What does this person know, anyway? Rebellion sets in. Battles rage inside you, churning away until you’re in full-fledge revolt, right?
First, let me share an example. Years ago I wrote a manuscript titled, “Drawn Curtains.” It is a saga set in the South about a young woman’s battle with child sexual abuse. The story takes place “behind drawn curtains.” It is told from the points of view of a young girl, age 15 and her younger sister. They both grow up in this troubled household. Each responds to the trauma differently. One, escapes. The other turns to alcoholism–a form of escape. The story unfolds from the two sister’s points of view, alternating.
I’d worked on this manuscript for years, off and on. The twists and turns that evolved turned it into quite a surprising tale. I felt it definitely had potential for publication and for sales.
Once polished, I sent it to a very reputable Beta reader. This is what she told me: “I love the story and the two main characters are wonderful. Credible and well-developed. Indeed, you have a magnificent Young Adult book here.” Young Adult??? What in the world was she talking about? This story talks about child sexual abuse and alcoholism. Granted our young people are reading much more mature themes these days, but not this! The reader explained, “Even if your book moves your characters through time and they age, with the bulk of the story told from a teenage point-of-view, it will be labeled in the young adult genre.”
Yikes! What to do. I rebelled. I grumbled. I decided the Beta reader didn’t know what she was talking about.
But, in the final analysis, I gave her suggestion a go. I decided to turn the book upside down and inside out. By now I knew the story and the characters quite well so maybe… just maybe… Then, one day I had an “aha” moment. Why not tell the story from the second sister’s point-of-view beginning with her as an adult? Let’s see how that feels.
In less than three months The Clock Strikes Midnight was born. The book evolved beautifully. My first fiction book easily got picked up for publication and has since won a number of awards. That Beta reader was right. Nonetheless, a piece of me still loves Drawn Curtains, which I might someday pick back up as a prequel.
Now let’s get to my tips for how to do this without killing yourself:
- Go ahead and rebel. Toss things in the air. Scream out loud. Pace the house. Annoy your friends and family. Get it all out of your system, but by all means, don’t start re-writing!
- Wait at least a week before you do anything to the manuscript as it is written. Do not touch it for a week and maybe longer.
- During that week research what the reader told you. For example, I didn’t believe what she said about books being young adult if they were told from a young person’s point-of-view. No way! Angela’s Ashes was told by a 16-year old and it’s not young adult. Then, I re-read Angela’s Ashes. Guess what, Frank McCourt began the story as an adult, actually in New York City. The rest of the book traveled back in time and was told from the young person’s point of view. This method started me thinking about how my characters might tell the story as adults.
- Save your current manuscript as it is. Do not destroy what you’ve written. Who knows, if you decide to massacre the story, you want to keep the old version, just in case.
- Give yourself time to think and develop the story in your mind. For those outliners out there, you can begin outlining the new story. For the pantsters out there, let it mull around in your head as new patterns and ideas emerge.
- Keep in mind that if you decide to re-write the story, you can always go back. This new version isn’t a done deal.
- Once you start re-writing, you will know if it’s the right thing to do when the story takes off and you no longer care too much about the original format. In other words, you are no longer rebelling or thinking, This is nuts–don’t know why I’m wasting my time with this.
Writers must make their own decisions.
I have to say for me, turning my manuscript upside and inside out was the right decision. As a pantster writer, the good part was when I did the re-write, I knew where the story was going and who the characters were. There were some surprises, but not with the level of uncertainty of my usual creative process. Readers tell me that the characters seem very real to them. That’s one of the best compliments a fiction writer can receive.
Here’s a sneak peek of The Clock Strikes Midnight. What do you think? Was it worth all the trouble?
Great post! Time and space are definitely necessary in order to edit well and be able to do an edit that does a work justice. Though I haven’t (yet) had to do this with a novel (my manuscripts are still undergoing some serious edits on my part), I’ve definitely done this with short stories. So many short stories I’ve written started with the first draft one way, and then the final draft ends up being something totally different from what I originally intended. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Caroliena, I do hope you’ll never have to make those major changes in a novel. It’s bad enough with a short story! But, I have found that when I get past my rebellious self, it ends up being worth the time and work.
I experienced something similar with my first manuscript, which is a YA contemporary. That was a year ago, and I decided it to shelve it. I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to it. It’s well written but poorly plotted, and I think it will take a full rewrite to get it to the point where it’s publishable. Maybe someday I’ll pick it up again, that’s what I keep telling myself. Happy to know the effort may be worth it though. Thanks for the wonderful post, Joan!
Hey Raimey, My very first novel (the one I’ll never publish) was sorta like that. It was a good story and I believe the characters were good, but the plot was a problem. I’m not sure it’s worth picking back up. I call it my practice novel. I wonder how many of us have a practice novel sitting somewhere in their computer?
I’ve been here as well. I wrote what I thought was an adult book, but the feel is definitely more YA. But since its the first in a series that is adult, it’s still sitting on the shelf. Maybe someday
Hi ML, Sounds as if someday is now. Why not? Turn it all around and inside out. Perhaps you could write this first book in the series as a YA and a prequel to the life of the adult who later appears and carries the series.
This story hits close to home. I, too, recently wrote a novella about a woman trying to cope with being sexually abused as a child. She blocks the memory of the event until her sexual awakenings in adolescence set it free and then she has difficulties rediscovering who she is well into adulthood and “forgiving” herself enough to accept true love for her own. The story moves through stages of her life, each a decade apart, but the lion share of the story is plotted during the adolescence so the novella fell into YA category. Currently, I’m trying to add content and shuffle the stages so that it is more befitting of the Adult genre I originally meant it to be.
Hi Lupa, Thanks for your comment. It sounds as though you may want to use the Angela’s Ashes approach. Start the book with the adult point-of-view and then move into the body of the story from the adolescent. Just a thought.
Great advice, Joan! I’ve been in this spot a few times, leading to full rewrites as well as shelving a book I couldn’t bring myself to “fix” yet. I love the reminder to save the current MS as it is, especially.
Hi Jess. I always save the manuscript as it is currently written. You never know what can come of that. For me, it’s prequel material for The Clock Strikes Midnight. And who knows, it may be another novel at some point. You should pull out the book that needs fixing. You’ve probably stayed away from it long enough to begin working on it again.
I sometimes have an author disappear on me after they get their manuscript back from their editor and the editor is suggesting major rewrites. It can be an intimidating thought, and often heartbreaking. You give some good advice here! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Kimberly, Thanks for visiting today. Hopefully we authors will figure out what’s wrong before it gets to the editor. Either way, it’s not fun to turn your manuscript upside down, but sometimes it’s the best option.
Wow. I’ve battled with a story that just isn’t quite right. I didn’t send it to my betas because I knew it had issues. Now I’m mulling over what you’ve discussed here. Should I or shouldn’t I?
Anna from elements of emaginette
I’d suggest you give it a go. You never know… maybe something wonderful will happen. Thanks for stopping by, Anna!
Great tips for rewriting. I’ve struggled with some rewrites before as well, but it seems the rewrites always make the manuscript stronger. Thanks for sharing!
Good post Joan – I find similarities between writing and painting, as sometimes you can have ‘happy accidents’ that are perfect and must not be touched but other passages really benefit from reworking
It’s funny how many of these have come up recently for me.
It may be that a story can’t truly be ready until it’s been turned upside down.
it’s tricky. You have to be willing to change anything, but have the sense to recognize what’s important about the story.
Someone else I know was going through a similar struggle, with every reader agreeing that the story needed work, but each had a different idea about how to address the issues.
One of the commentators quoted Neil Gaiman, “When they tell you something is wrong, they’re right. When they tell you how to fix it, they’re wrong.”
I think many dream of being a writer who can just crank out stories the same way factories crank out parts every day, but the reality is it will take as long as it takes.
Thank you for sharing.
I love Neil Gaiman and that quote is perfect. I may use it in a future post. Thanks for stopping by Adam. I enjoy your comments!
You mean after I stop crying, right? I’ve read Angela’s Ashes, too. It’s a great book for studying how to write a memoir. I would never throw away a piece of writing. I would always start a new document. You are correct. You never know when or IF you wish to return to the original for information or as a sequel.
Hahaha! You are right about crying… but, at some point we’ve got to dry our tears and move forward. Thanks for stoping by and commenting!