Re-reading and making changes to current work that makes everything worse?
I constantly re-read my work before writing again. It helps me get in the proper mind set. But my biggest problem is that I make more changes on what's already there that I don't get further along in story. Thus I walk away, having made a bigger mess and no progress. How can I change this process?
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I used to have the same issue. Even if I planned ahead of time, I would read again my previous session and find myself editing it. There were multiple reasons for that. First, in between sessions I fleshed out certain ideas better, or I came up with new details, or simply one additional line of dialogue. Second, as I continued exercising my writing, my style changed, and the past writings sounded flat and clunky. The latter was a terribly fastidious feeling that I just had to correct.
My advice: don't. Ignore rereading. Just write. Start from where you think you arrived, write the same scene twice if you get confused, but don't look back. You need to accept that until you finish the initial draft every single action that is not writing is just an excuse to procrastinate.
On writing.se there are is quite a number of questions on how to just sit down and write. I found many of them to contain great advice.
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I too start by rereading a part of what I wrote, in order to "get into the mood". And sometimes, instead of getting into the writing mood, I get into the "this doesn't work at all, it needs to be changed" mood.
Here's what works for me: instead of editing, I mark the part that needs editing, and leave a comment specifying what needs correcting. Sometimes it's a content change: I need to make a scene fit with a worldbuilding detail I added later. Sometimes I don't like the dynamics of a scene, or the pacing is wrong, or the scene is doing too much telling and not enough showing. Whatever it is, I leave a note and move on, to write the new stuff I planned to write.
Why does this work for me? Seeing a problem and not addressing it creates in me a sense of "incompleteness". It's this nagging feeling that I saw a problem, and ignored it. But if I start editing straight away, I'll be facing the same problem you're having - all editing, no new stuff getting written. Marking the problem for later and specifying what exactly needs to be changed gives me a sense of closure: I've done something with the problem, and I'll be able to proceed later from the same point, rather than looking for the problem all over again. Also, sometimes I see a problem, but I can't find the solution straight away. I wouldn't want to waste time with it bothering me, when I've set out to write the next scene. Much better to leave the problem for later.
When do I get back to actually doing something with those marked problems? When I have a writing block, and moving forward doesn't seem to be happening. Then, doing the actual edits actually helps me unclog.
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I always start my writing sessions with rereading. I use it as a tool to get into the right mindset and remind myself of the tone of the work. I find that if I don't i will end up copying tone and style from the last thing I read before this.
BUT... i don't go to far back. I just l just read the last page, or at most the chapter. That is also the area that usually needs the most adjustment as it has not been reread before. Ten minutes is my maximum time spent reading. After that I am just warmed up enough to hit the ground running in my writing.
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You're going to have to change your setup.
Either:
1. Stop re-reading your work before you write more. This will feel frustrating to you but it may be a rule you have to give yourself so you can move forward. It's hard to write new things but easy to revise what you've already written. It also can lead to berating yourself for writing the "wrong" thing in the first place which can take you to the dark place of not feeling worthy enough to write more. Don't give in to doubt. Cut that sucker off at the knees.
2. Review your work if you need to, but in a format where you can't revise it. There's nothing wrong with reminding yourself of the last chapter or scene you wrote before you get started on a new one. And if you're in the middle of one, you have to re-read what you have. Don't do this on your computer. When you're done for the day, print out what you've written and leave it unread on your desk. When you go back to your writing (whether it's the next day or next week), use the printout to remind you what you last did. Make sure you accidentally forget to leave writing implements nearby.
Once you get to a place where one of these things works, you can and should set aside time for editing. Going back and revising things is clearly important to you, and it's a good thing to do. Your problem isn't that you revise, it's that you use it to avoid writing something new.
Allow yourself the pleasure of editing your work. Just carve out separate time for it so it doesn't interfere with actual writing.
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