There are many authors who love the rewrite and edit process, but for me, rewriting is as painful and satisfying as losing weight, clearing out the attic, and daily exercise.

When I write a first draft, I throw words around like they are worth nothing, and the air of my writing hut is filled with floating feathers of ideas which land on the keypad and are gobbled up without effort.

I put it aside with a sigh, unsure it will ever be worthy of its name.

After at least a month I read my mess of a story on my kindle, this is to stop my twitching fingers and inner editor from changing anything. It is important I get a feel for the whole story before I start the rewrite. I take notes in a dedicated notepad about scenes to swap over, characters to tweak, plot holes so huge the world could fall through them, sub plots bulging almost large enough to be another story in themselves, and names that have changed as the story progressed.

These notes are never as damming as I expect, and I am surprised at how much healthier and slimmer the story is to what I thought I’d written.

Then the rewrite begins and I cannot believe how long it takes to make sense of the mis-spelt words, the terrible grammar, the ‘Name A,’ ‘Add more description,’ ‘Do some research,’ ‘Move this part,’ comments written in the hurry to get the ideas and story unloaded from my brain.



There are so many words the story does not need.

This is the hard part. 

I sit myself down and have a good chat about how the story will feel better, move easier and have more energy if I remove the fat. I need to have more self-discipline, more self-motivation. I know it will feel great if I do it.

So, I take a deep breath and press delete once, then twice, then I highlight huge chunks and press delete with a smile.  

The story flows and I am no longer bored, no longer finding a million other writing related things to do. I and the story have renewed energy, until the next change is needed, and I am reluctant to swap heavy words for lighter ones.

Just past the half-way mark I begin to doubt my ability to continue. I lose faith in my story and start to comfort write, adding too much in, repeating concepts, being fluffy. I know this is not good for the health of my story or my author well-being and I will have to go back and do the painful removal again, but it’s like a bad habit, hard to change.

When I recognise my pattern of behaviour, I decide that if I love my story, I will help it be the best it can be. That giving into my whims is not healthy, the bulges must go. I cut the fluff, ease the plot back on track, erase the non-essential but best beloved sub plots and finish the rewrite.

Now I’ve earned some chocolate. 😊

The story is by no means polished, it has miles of editing to jog along until it is in the best shape it can be, but it is healthier and full of energy and I am proud of my story for losing the unwanted weight and toning up its plot muscles.