Adicted to re-writing

I have not been able to start a draft and finish it since my first one. Every time, when I reach no later then page 80, I come up with something I need to change earlier in the story for this element to make sense. Then, I start re-reading stuff, and I come up with a bunch more stuff I want to change. I end up scrapping everything and starting over.

I need help. I cannot seem to sit down and just write the whole thing from start to finish, no matter how much I like the ending.

One should never, ever look back at what they had written before the last few paragraphs--and sometimes not even then. See, your writing is always improving, even if you don't notice the difference while you're writing, and first drafts also suck. It's a fact and there's nothing we can really do to change it, except keep on continuing forward.

What I would suggest is what a lot of people in Nanowrimo do: Create another document, find a notebook, or just somewhere where you will be able to remember and find it later on when you need it. Write out all of the details of what you need to change in outline form, like So and So gets and magic egg from Shady Character that will calm the dragon they need to pass in order for the novel to end. Yeah, anyway, write down the details of what you need to change and then put them away. Then continue on your novel, acting as though you've changed everything. And keep writing until you reach the ending, and then you can go back and only edit the parts that you need to edit when your first draft is done.

And, that's really all I have to suggest. I have yet to really finish a novel, either, but that just because I stop writing them after Nano is over. Good luck!!

I just had an idea that might work for editing (mainly talking to myself here). First, write the whole story, every paragraph think that it was the best thing you ever wrote. Now get to the end. Next, go back and read your first paragraph. Remember everything you said and erase it. Now write it over. Do this four times and then you should have a good book! TADA

Write the ending first, then write various scenes in the middle. Write a decent beginning that doesn't have too many first chapter no-nos/cliches. Go through and fill in the blanks (like a Madlib! Make it funny, quirky, random, and most importantly, relatable). Tie up any loose ends. Go through again and rewrite. Have a friend do a complete edit. Rewrite again.

And I sound like a hypocrite now because I have never in my life finished a book. I tend to give up halfway through, and then I'll take months to come up with another idea. Novel-writing is just so difficult, because if the first chapter isn't absolutely prestine (spelling?), then the whole thing falls apart.

Hope this helped and I didn't ramble too much.

I'm one of those geeks who is also addicted to re-writing. I have spent more time re-writing my story than actually progressing. I have yet to finish a novel [I really hope to finish this year - the end of summer is actually my goal], however, I have found what works for me is when I get a new idea, immediately type it, right in my story document, and then highlight it/put it in red. And I don't re-read stuff unless it needs serious work. I've found that the only time I've ever gone back to re-write and it was a good decision was when my character needed her personality fixed [she was a complete whiny brat and needed something to at least make her a little more likeable].

You know, I've been writing all these small drabbles/flash fiction for my 08 Nano, Flabbergast, and it's really helped me figure out more on my character's backstories. I've also been having fun writing missing scenes for my novel, because it's so fun to expand on a few things that I skimmed over during November. And a few of these have turned out to actually be a part of my novel. I think I've got several random things to put in my novel, although I'm still uncertain about which ones.

And, the reason why I'm posting this here is because I am inadvertently editing my novel as I do this. I might have actually figured out how to begin my novel so that it's not a totally abrupt beginning and I have one of the several chapters that I need to insert into my novel written. And, the tip in all of this rambling, is to try writing out several beginnings disconnected from the main body of your work. Or, whatever you have that you want to rewrite, spend some time just writing something out that fits with it. And then continue on your way and insert things later.

Of course, I still stand by my earlier advice, but I just thought I would share how everything is coming together with this. It's still not finished, not by a long shot, but it's coming together. And now I have to figure out the plot for 07 Nano so I can edit and then continue it...

Thanks everybody!

And, I have done the whole "write the scenes you think of first then fill in the blanks thing" but this really shows that I need help: I spent all of my time rewriting the scenes I had already thought of because I spend 90% of my time thinking of new scenes, so I came up with new and better ways to do things. I could never actually filled in all the blanks.

The current thing I'm doing is writing by hand on paper that doesn't erase well. So, I have no choice but to march forward. I'll edit when I type it all up. Once it is finished.