Twisted Tuesday: Examining REWRITING, Step 2

Last Twisted Tuesday, we explored the methods used in organizing time, material, and brain power when tackling a full manuscript rewrite. STEP1 talked about finding good critique partners or betas, and examining your reasons for REwriting instead of REvising.

Let's move forward and chat about blowing through a stump in the middle of a scene. Has a stump ever rooted up in the middle of your writing garden?

Scenario: You've decided a particular scene still has value for your rewrite, but a new purpose must be found for it. You have the old scene jostling around in your head, probably memorized to death. Now you have ideas that must be incorporated into that scene to integrate new plot threads, character development, voice, etc...

Break the scene down into smaller parts. In order to do a well-grounded rewrite, seeing the elements which made the initial scene work can be helpful. Sometimes it uncovers a hidden hole you hadn't noticed or will show you choices, aka roads, you hadn't thought of before. It will also help you chop those stumps that are keeping you from your writing goals.

Clear Clutter. This is my method and I know there are tons of writing programs out there that probably do a better job, but I'm simple and I like tangible things.

1. I make a brief physical list of new elements I'm sure need incorporation into the scene. Usually I do this on an index card. Like I said--brief. Giving myself too many stipulations drowns my creativity.

2. Then I open a new document, calling it Workspace: 'Title of Book', and cut and paste the existing scene onto the blank screen.

3. Now's where the rewriting fun begins. I read through, and using a new index card, I begin listing any existing element I'm sure I want to use in my rewrite. Basically, I'm creating a new outline for this one scene. Once I feel the structural elements (library, front desk, outside, car...) are there, I order them on as many index cards as I need. (ex: start at front desk of library, fight happens, rush outside, jump into car...)

I do this process as many times as I feel necessary to layer voice, emotions, back story, descriptions, gestures, and you name it. This may seem tedious, but it breaks down the elements of a good story, giving it eyes to become a great story.

We'll continue this next time, showing the Split Screen and how the index cards become a full scene.

My ROW80 PROGRESS is brief, today.

I've had my own stumps to overcome. One chapter wasn't merely a rewrite but a totally new creation, needed to move a new plot twist forward. The first half of the scene went like a charm. But once I got neck-high in the dialog, I realized I needed to decide what information I wanted to give the reader now and what facts needed to wait. *sigh*

Yes, this will be another Twisted Tuesday post. But for now, I've finally entered ACT III  #doingmajorcartwheels  for an equivalent of just over 9,100 words. I figure I have approximately 10-11,000 more to rewrite and then look over my critique partners edits.

Now, for my ROW80 motivation partners progress: Susan's PROGRESS, Margo's PROGRESS, C.Lee's PROGRESS.