From Undercooked to Gourmet: The Power of the Rewrite

Image by Yvonne Huijbens from Pixabay

Making a stew has often been compared to the writing process. To make a stew, you add potatoes, meat, onions, seasoning, and other ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. But if you don’t let it cook long enough and give it time to simmer, the stew won’t turn out the way you had hoped.

Similarly, the first draft of your manuscript is full of raw material and not yet ready for others to read. If you only write and never revise, your work is like serving undercooked stew—lacking the full flavor and richness it could have. Taking the time to improve your writing can turn a good story into a great one, just like a good dish can become truly delicious if cooked long enough.

However, some writers do not see it that way. The “one-and-done” writers are not in favor of rewriting their first draft. Instead, they are ready to publish their book after typing the final period in their manuscript.

Writing a Book vs. Writing a Draft

Many new writers (and even some experienced ones) confuse “writing a book” with “writing a draft.” But in reality, the first draft is only 50 percent of the process—a time for gathering the “ingredients.”

Writers, like cooks who skim fat, taste the ingredients, and let flavors blend, should revise their work. But why do some writers resist rewriting? While there are different reasons, some writers believe their manuscript is already “good enough” and they do not want to ruin it.

What many writers might not realize is that the most popular books, including the ones that they love, have been rewritten multiple times. The books were revised not because the manuscripts were poorly written, but because the authors wanted to serve their readers a fully cooked experience.

Michael Crichton, the author of the best-selling books Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain, both of which were adapted into movies, explained it this way: “Books aren’t written—they’re rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn’t quite done it.”

Three Tips For Revising Your Story

Here are three simple ways to begin revising your manuscript: 

1. Put your manuscript away for a while before starting your revisions. 

Give it a few days (or weeks) to cool so you can come back with a fresh perspective on what you have written. Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman offers this guidance: “The best advice I can give on this is, once it's done, to put it away until you can read it with new eyes. When you're ready, pick it up and read it, as if you've never read it before. If there are things you aren't satisfied with as a reader, go in and fix them as a writer: that's revision.”

2. Read your draft out loud. You’ll catch awkward phrasing and bland dialogue instantly.

3. Ask questions. During the revision, ask yourself questions such as: What parts are boring? Are the characters flat? Am I using active voice or passive voice? Where do I need more heat? (These questions are your "seasoning.")

Serve Something Worth Savoring

Just as you wouldn’t rush a stew without letting it simmer, you do not want to rush to publish your first draft. Let’s face it. Writing can be difficult, which is why it takes time to complete your project. 

Rachel Carson, a marine biologist and nature writer whose work led to the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said it this way: “…(W)riting is largely a matter of application and hard work, of writing and rewriting endlessly, until you are satisfied that you have said what you want to say as clearly and simply as possible. For me, that usually means many, many revisions.”

Fortunately, readers enjoy books by authors who take the time to go through “many, many revisions” of their manuscript. After all, reading a good book can be just as satisfying as eating a savory stew.