Getting into rewrite mode prematurely

Hippo

Hippo

3/4 of the way through the first draft of my novel I'm already making notes about things I need to rewrite.  This evening I suddenly decided the ailment I've hospitalised my protagonist's sister with needs to change - the rewriting of scenes leading up to that, to make it all tie in, won't be difficult, but I'm itching to go back and do it now to fix it and make it right before I go on.  I'm going to resist the temptation - though, so long as I settle on this new illness, it will have to influence future chapters...I'd better make sure I'm certain before I carry on or I'll end up with 3 or 4 different illnesses and a great deal of care will need to be taken in rewriting, so as to ensure continuity of symptoms etc.

Bizarrely, part of me thinks it's a good thing that I can see stuff that needs rewriting already, as I did worry that I'd get to the end of my first draft and think 'Well, that's finished and I can't see any need to change any of it', which would have indicated a rather misguided, inflated view of my skills as a writer....

Carol

I think we're all like that. I can print something out after being quite happy with it, and ten minutes later I see things I want to change, they only occured to me after it was printed out, black print on white paper syndrome I call it.
You are not alone.

Mad Doctor Dribble

Yes.  I've been on chapter three of my second book for a couple of months now because I keep editing the first two and a half chapters I have already written.  Like Carol says, we're all like that.  And the rewriting never ends.  Even when the book is on the shelf and selling, you'll probably still want to rewrite it!

Jay Mandal

Yes, I can confirm that.

Island Girl

Absolutely the same here! I get dejected at times when I think I might be a procrastinator. But I could also put it down to being a perfectionist, too. When I know something needs to be corrected I mentally NEED to do it before I'm able to move on.  Let's be serious, if it has to be done, why not do it when it's fresh in your mind? Strike while the iron is hot, as they say. There will still be rewrites to do at the completion of the book so if it helps to tidy up along the way, I say do it.

Jay Mandal

I've mentioned this before, but my edits often consist of choosing which version to use - my original drafts are full of either/or phrases. If I tried to decide as I went along, I'd probably run out of steam. But, if I do have a bright idea about an earlier bit, I'll make a note on the printed out version of the draft or on a separate piece of paper - assuming it's something I can summarise easily.

M. Welshman

I agree that if there are fundamental changes required which are going to alter the rest of the novel then make those 'structural' changes early on. But there is a school of thought to which I subscribe whereby you should get that first draft written in one sweep. Certainly avoid tinkering. Mentally you will feel so much better to have achieved that first draft. And it may be that with the whole of the novel in front of you it doesn't require such major changes to earlier chapters. I strongly recommend this method. But then of course we're all different. Write?

Jan

Umm Hippo,

Might I suggest that you go no further editing the original plot. Instead rewrite the "light bulb" idea of differing illness, then continue the edit to conclusion.
You may save double the work on the latter part of the novel, especially if the changed ails provoke different plot reactions.

Hippo

Thanks all.  I'm inclining towards spending a little time rewriting, to correct things in the light of the change in illness, not least because I've now hit a bit of a wall in my plot and doing some writing, albeit rewriting, is better than none and might help to clear my head and provide a way forward. 

The problem now with my plot is that I've just inflicted some traumas on my protagonist and know what the next key dramatic scene/incident is, but need some 'quieter' scenes in between, to allow for consolidation/regrouping or whatever else you like to call it.  I didn't plan all of these quieter scenes out in advance and can't seem to think my way out of it.  I've tried letting go and leaving it to my sub-conscious, but it's taking its time to come up with the goods.  I wonder whether I should just jump to the next major development and go back to fill in the gap later.  From the workshop I did a couple of weeks ago, with Diana Evans, this was very much her approach with her first draft - lots of bits of scenes and ideas, which she then had to rejig and patch together properly later.  My first draft has been a bit more structured than that and it doesn't feel quite right to change tack at this stage, but maybe it's a case of 'needs must'?  Again, better to keep writing, eh?...