Young Writers Society

Started a chapter, or a story, and then it starts to really take shape and become something amazing? But then you go back and look at the beginning and think, "Well crap..."

What do you do? I also hate looking back over what I've already written because I want to keep moving forward.

Any suggestions on what to do? Should I go back now and edit everything so it works in order or should I wait until I'm totally done with the story and go back to make it match?

Help please!

Hey there ah1705!

I find it much easier to carry on writing until I'm finished and then I leave it for a bit, maybe a week, and then I go back and re-read the whole thing, making notes as I go. Just the things that stick out to me. Any plot holes and changes in the way my character's come across.

I finished my sixth novel last night and I won't read it now for a couple of weeks so when I do look back at it, I'm looking at it with fresh eyes.

I only ever give up on a story if I can't connect with the main character because if I can't connect with them, then how is the reader supposed to. I believe the majority of stories have the potential to be great so it's just a case of sticking with it.

Good luck and happy writing!

xDudettex

i keep changing my beging because i had a better idea when i reach a certain point and look back at it. it helps me to make it better since when i first started out writing i wasn't as much experienced

Uuuh.... I understand a JM has been here and not pointed this out, so I'm obviously mistaken.
Shouldn't be this is the Writing Tips forum? Or whatever that one forum is?

But yeah, I hate when that happens. Being a quitter, I usually give up. Yes, I'm horrible at giving advice.

Teehee. It actually doesn't make too much of a difference if it's in the Lounge since that's also used for discussion, ja?

Anyhow, yes! I've been in this position many times. In fact, it's a sort of paranoia for me. The more I write, the more I realize how awful my beginning is. My inner editor gets in the way sooo badly.

What I would suggest is to keep writing. If you get a really good idea for the beginning, just make a note of it and fix it later. Maybe when you get stuck, you can go back and fix it until you're inspired to continue the story. However, I find it's much easier to fix mistakes when you know how the story ends up in the first draft. Then you can go back, fill in the blanks, take out the wrong parts, put in some new pieces, and eventually solve the puzzle that is your novel.

It's important to remember that the first draft will always look bad. I have never written a first draft that I'm proud of. Completing the draft, however, gives you a huge amount of missing insight as to how your story turns out. I find that it tends to change direction as you write it, so just keep going and figure things out. Otherwise, that beginning is going to get rewritten so many times before the story ever finishes!