All writers’ nightmare is when they type THE END on their manuscript. They keep asking themselves, what if they wrote a better ending? Or what if they have the capability of writing a better manuscript in the first place?
We all want to write perfect manuscripts, something that takes our breath away the moment we type THE END on the keyboard. Sometimes, we want to give a last nod of approval, congratulating ourselves on the marvelous job we created. And we want to feel that we’ve written something that is just… perfect. Unfortunately, that’s a big fat lie, because even after we publish our books, we keep asking ourselves: what if?
So what’s the cure for this?
Let me whisper in your ear a little secret: rewriting.
“Sometimes, I can spend as long revising a manuscript as I spent writing it in the first place.”
Margaret Haddix.
So as Haddix put it, rewriting is the key. The moment we finish writing our first draft, put it aside. You can leave it for a month or two and then get back to it. It will stun you when you reread it, as if this was not your writing at all. Have the courage to change and fix the plot holes. Rewrite paragraphs, cut, and add scenes you think might help improve the manuscript.
When you reach the end and come up with a better solution, don’t be afraid to change it. Remember that through the time you left your manuscript away for months, you must have been reading other materials that helped you develop your skills.
Try to read genres close to your book and see how the authors solved their problems and reached proper conclusions.
So once you’re done rewriting your manuscript, guess what? Repeat everything I told you again and again until you feel satisfied with your work. Never forget to show your document to a Beta-Reader and use their input to develop your writing technique.
Have fun rewriting!