As many of us have, I've written some stuff that is truly terrible. I think that's just a part of being a writer - we can't put out a masterpiece every time. Many beginning writers are still growing into their craft, but even Stephen King lays an egg every once in a while. Still, how many of us have gone back and really rewritten bad stuff?
One would think this is easier to do than what we wrestle with. After all, how many of us have read a book or watched a movie and thought about how we could've improved on it? That's the very essence of fan fiction. If we can do it with someone else's work, why can't we do it with our own?
Maybe we're too close to what we've written. I know that when I've puked out some horrible piece of writing, I want to put it away and forget about it. However, perhaps all we need is distance. The distance of time can give us perspective on how to fix an idea that once so enthralled us that we just had to write about it.
I've spoken many times about how I abandoned my first novel. On Freedom's Wings seemed like a bad Star Trek parody, complete with a Scot being the ship's Chief Engineer. However, the overall idea - Earth isolating itself from the galaxy in the wake of victory in a centuries long war - still intrigues me. Since I'm looking for a way to get back into Short Story Friday, maybe rewriting this piece of crap is the way to do it. I can go back into it and post the results online. I plan to start doing this beginning in April.
Bad work can be saved. Many times I've read or watched something that had potential, only to be crushed by poor writing. If nothing else, it'll give me an opportunity to grow as a writer by taking on this daunting task. Hopefully y'all will provide me some feedback along the way. The results should at least be entertaining.
One would think this is easier to do than what we wrestle with. After all, how many of us have read a book or watched a movie and thought about how we could've improved on it? That's the very essence of fan fiction. If we can do it with someone else's work, why can't we do it with our own?
Maybe we're too close to what we've written. I know that when I've puked out some horrible piece of writing, I want to put it away and forget about it. However, perhaps all we need is distance. The distance of time can give us perspective on how to fix an idea that once so enthralled us that we just had to write about it.
I've spoken many times about how I abandoned my first novel. On Freedom's Wings seemed like a bad Star Trek parody, complete with a Scot being the ship's Chief Engineer. However, the overall idea - Earth isolating itself from the galaxy in the wake of victory in a centuries long war - still intrigues me. Since I'm looking for a way to get back into Short Story Friday, maybe rewriting this piece of crap is the way to do it. I can go back into it and post the results online. I plan to start doing this beginning in April.
Bad work can be saved. Many times I've read or watched something that had potential, only to be crushed by poor writing. If nothing else, it'll give me an opportunity to grow as a writer by taking on this daunting task. Hopefully y'all will provide me some feedback along the way. The results should at least be entertaining.
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