What I learned rewriting older books....

What I learned rewriting older books....

A few years ago I did something rather dramatic—I took almost 20 novellas/novels out of the marketplace to revise and rebrand them. These were stories written during the first half of my 20+ year writing career. Why I did that is another blog post but suffice to say my reasons were valid—even though my sales suffered somewhat during the process.
 
I am much happier with the finished products. I met all of my re-release deadlines and all books are back in the marketplace. Eighteen months is a long time to stall a career but I do not regret taking the action.



I learned a few things along the way, rewriting these books. Here is my short list:
  • Most everything can be edited and made better. 
  • Time makes you look at your writing objectively. 
  • Stories often need more time to be told—don’t rush the process. 
  • Several passes through the same story add depth and layers—even though you think a story may be finished, it’s probably not. 
  • Editing is never really finished—although at some point you do need to say “It’s done.” 
  • A fresh eye is always good for the story (yours or someone else's!)
  • Stories I loved before, I love even more now. With tweaks. 
  • Ten years ago, I was not the writer I thought I was. 
  • The magic comes with time and revisions--be patient.
That last one makes me wonder--in ten years, will I look back on the current writing and say the same?

I hope so! Writing is growth. Growth is writing.
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