Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/27922
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

> I was wondering if this edit-as-you-go method is a common way to write (from reading other questions and answers on here, it doesn't seem to be)? Is it definitely to be avoided, and why?

I write fanfic (and originals) too and I also edit in a similar way. It's true: it's not common. In fact, I feel pretty lonely in my approach. But it works for me, so I'm not thinking of abandoning it anytime soon.

Likewise, if you feel comfortable with that approach, don't change it (which doesn't mean you can't try a different approach to see if you're even more comfortable with it). Do try to perfect your approach though.

Let me present my approach so you can see whether you identify yourself with it and whether it can give you ideas to perfect your own.

I'm a perfectionist and I cannot move on to the next chapter until I feel that what I have has the right tone, that the plot is moving in a tight rhythm and that the characters are behaving and evolving realistically. I don't know if that's why you edit chapter by chapter but, for me, if I don't go over the chapter and look for potential problems and fix them, the idea that I might be writing the new chapter in a wrong direction actually brings on a writer's block.

When I write fanfiction, I do not upload any chapters until the entire story is written, though. That way I can always go back and further adjust little problems I hadn't yet noticed and, if need be, I can even decide to scrap an entire chapter. Moreover, as new ideas develop, I can go back and add foreshadowing (eg. I decide later on a character has a nervous tick, so I can go back and add the gesture in previous chapters).

My advise is for you to keep the approach of 'write chapter' \> 'edit chapter', but as you move on to new chapters do not think you can't go back and further edit them. The first edit is usually making sure the foundation for the next chapter is as stable as possible by getting rid of big problems. A later edit is usually getting rid of small problems.

I also advise you to get a thick skin: you do need to be able to scrap unnecessary events if they do not advance the story or if they aren't natural developements (it may be cute for the shy girl to explode and passionately say everything she's thinking to her crush only to revert to type the next day but... is that really likely? Perhaps the explosion should be toned down to a one sentence slip that leaves her embarrassed to death). Keep them on a 'scrapped folder' (I used to do it _all_ the time) so that you don't have to agonise over destroying something you enjoy reading. In time, it becomes easier and we start saving less of the scrapped material.

An important particularity of my approach is that, as I move on to chapter 8, I'm still going back to re-read chapters 2 and 3 and so on. If I start getting fed up with something, it's because it's not quite right and needs to be fixed. You see, reading an event over and over kills the excitement of 'this is so cool' and then you can see the flaws underneath. This 'second editing' is when I sometimes scrap an entire chapter and make sure that the new version makes a better bridge between the previous and the following one. Or it's when I scrap a few chapters in a row.

Adding this step to your own process may help improving your stories without waiting to get to the last chapter to go back for a massive rewrite. If you rewrite half-way, rather than at the end, you still have that urge to end the story to help you make it through the rewrite. Also, if you find the problem early on, you'll have less to rewrite.

However, you cannot get hung up on re-reading past chapters. You've written chapter 12, you've edited it. Now plan the next chapter and write it. When it's over go back to chapter 8 and read them all in one go till chapter 13. Edit it. Plan the next chapter and write it. And so on till it's all done.

If you start getting doubts about the story, don't get into re-reading it over and over. Stop and make diagrams, plot graphics, evaluate how the characters are growing, verify if plot and subplots are well balanced, make sure the archs are well drawn out, check the timeline, make sure everyone has the right motivation. But do it on the side in order to get away from the written part and identify the problem. Once you've identified it, go back and rewrite what needs to be rewritten to fix it.

I hope I've given you ideas to develop your own method. Good writings!

Original score: 2