I wrote an entire post/newsletter about Writer’s Block to go out today. I wanted to talk about working through writer’s block. Then I read the draft. I tried to edit it. Then I tried again. I had written some kind of word soup that refused to be arranged into comprehensible sentences.
I was left thinking: it needs to be rewritten. From scratch. I want to keep the point I made about every writer getting blocked in some form or another, and my feelings towards it. The rest of the piece seems like noise.
Is it time to rewrite? Do you rewrite? If something isn’t working, do you scrap the whole thing and start over? Do you keep the premise and a few choice moments? Or do you keep editing and editing until the piece becomes readable? Have you taken old stories and made them new?
If I rewrite my writer’s block piece, it won’t be the first time I’ve re-written something. I’ve taken old stories, ones where I loved the characters or plot, and started over. Sometimes I keep a few good sentences, some pretty words that I used, but it becomes something else. I’ve also rewritten pieces in a new genre. A contemporary piece suddenly becomes fantasy. That character isn’t human, they’re a demon or vampire. The feeling of being watched in an old house, well, it’s actually haunted — watch out for ghosts! Or, forget the supernatural, we can keep the emotions without making spirits whispering the walls.
Sometimes whatever idea I had to rewrite the piece doesn’t work. In those moments, I put it aside or back into the archive, and move on to something else. Do you find that after rewriting a piece, it still doesn’t work? Do you let it go, maybe let it die quietly in a folder on your computer? I think I’ve done that — Stories that have a beginning, middle and end, but still don’t work. I read them and wonder what went wrong. Do you move on from stories like that?
I have a lot of questions this week. Who has the answers?
What I’ve Been Reading:
The Undermining of Twyla and Frank, by Megan Bannen
Boss, by Deborah Armstrong
What I’ve Been Watching:
My Happy Marriage on Netflix
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine on Paramount+
Lucifer on Netflix
Cells at Work on Netflix
What I’ve Been Listening To:
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, by Chappell Roan
Chromakopia, by Tyler, The Creator
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, by Billie Elish
Learn about the land on which we reside:
Ah... there are no answers, I'm afraid. Only questions ;)
I, bizarrely enough, have never run into this particular situation. I do a lot of thinking about a piece prior to writing. Sometimes I write these nuggets down, sometimes not. But I'm a planner. I explore a multitude of possibilities before venturing forth... and even then when I'm writing -- always asking, "What's my GCMR for this moment/chapter? How can I raise the stakes?" And I play with the words. It's not easy or perfect or even something I'd suggest other writers try, necessarily. It's just how I do what I do. If it's not working, I go for a walk and give myself time to reflect. I research and read and get inspired. Then, I carry on. ;)
That being said, I spent a decade writing my first book. I did rewrite certain chapters (like the first one) numerous times. But I was learning my craft with that book. As I learned and grew and absorbed new ways of looking at things and storytelling, I'd modify and alter my approach. I didn't scrap it though. This was a story I had to tell. These days, I have learned to trust my gut. While I never stop learning, I have discovered my writing style and I trust the process.
GCMR
Goal, Conflict, Motivation, Risk