WRITING IS REWRITING
revision and rewriting
- rewriting is not just rewriting
- it’s rethinking, reconceptualizing and approaching new things (perspective, structure/sequence of things, obstacles, character’s behaviour/actions/speech)
- everybody should at least try and rewrite their stories 5 times
- you will never find out what is really in you until you write and rewrite
- that doesn’t mean just polishing phrases
tip
- study your story, see it with a new vision and changed values
- write it afresh
- then maybe scrap it, start all over again – don’t be afraid to do this!
- after this, then you can begin “polishing”
- finding expressions with character, dialogue that has rhythm
- it may take 2 or more versions to bring out the full colour of the characters or yourself
reflection
- the inclination of the egoist is to get as much as he can, but at the same time not to change.
the final draft
1. read with a fixed eye
- re-read through your story carefully
- focus on a particular aspect each time (eg. character, location, action, etc.)
- ask yourself:
“is the protagonist ALWAYS the focus of the story?”
“is he/she doing anything or is everyone else always doing stuff around him/her”
“is he/she even there?!”
2. the chainsaw is your friend
- now is the time to look at script economy
- why have your reader dying to finish after 4 pages when they could be craving more after 2?
- ask yourself:
“where do my scenes begin? where do they end?”
“can 6 lines be said in 3?”
“can i trim the fat? can i cut the exposition? can i tell it visually instead?”
3. crank it up!
- the stakes are high – can they be any higher?
- more to lose = more dramatic tension
- ask yourself:
“does everything matter enough? can everything matter more?” (does the situation matter enough to the characters? if it matters more to the characters, the characters will matter more to the audience)
“am i giving my characters hell? is it fun to see them squirm and satisfying enough when they get out of it?”
