Faux Poll!

[opera142]

Rewrite or not to rewrite.

I'm considering doing a massive edit of The King. It needs tough-loving from the grammar stick bad. The problem is I know that along with the grammar fixes, I'd do a ton of re-writing, probably re-working the entire fic.

On one hand, I'm NO. Don't. Don't be that writer whose output dwindles to "new" versions of a beloved opus-- not that it'd get reposted anywhere except TheRopeOpera. I should be writing new stuff. Move forward. Don't dwell on past glories.

But, OTOH, I think it would be a great learning project. I've got distance from the story, so tics and opera-centric bad writing would be a bit more obvious. I'd read and hear it, rather than my joy at omg!mygoodidea!

So, advice, suggestions, war-stories from undertaking a rewrite?

Comments

[yesdrizella.livejournal.com]

I think it might be a fun project in that you can implement what you've learned since writing the fic and thus improve it... but I dunno. Wouldn't you look back on The King three years from now and want to rewrite it again? That's the tricky thing with rewrites, the fic then feels like you're never going to be truly finished with it.

[wolfshift.livejournal.com]

Ahem. Do you see how you phrased your arguments?

Your reasons for doing it show that you want to do this project.

Your reasons for not doing it are that reworking something you did before will doom you inadequacy and permanently affix an absolute label to you for life.

Reworking is called editing. I challenge you to find me one good writer who doesn't do it.