So about a year ago, I started a book. I worked on it for several months and got a decent way into it. After a while I started running out of ideas and lost the inspiration to continue. It's been forever since I've worked on it, but I've realized it's not very good quality, it's very hard to continue, and I'm not enjoying writing it anymore. I have another great idea that in super excited to do. Is it ok to start over and make my new idea, or should I just stick it out and finish my first one?
Depends. You can start over and rewrite, that's what I did and I got amazing results.
If you rewrite you can change things up a little, add new characters, new villains new relationships without clashing with your old draft. All first drafts are horrible. You don't have to completely scrap the whole concept, just rewrite.
I asked a similar question and I chose to delete and rewrite. Here are my results.
Draft one:
I pulled the bowstring back as I aimed my bow at a cereal box. Yes, a cereal box, as silly as it sounds, they make excellent targets. I’m about to fire when i hear a sound from behind me. I turn around stunned and clumsly released the bowstring causing the arrow to fly farther into the forest. A squirrel, it was just a squirrel. I dont why i’m being so jumpy if i’m gonna get any better I shouldn’t be like this! I scolded myself. The section of the forest my arrow flew into was unexplored. My arrow must have traveled a good hmm… a hundred feet, maybe.
I walked through the dappled forest until I come across a sunlit meadow in the middle was the biggest tree I have ever seen. A live oak! I’ve never seen one before! The branches extend twenty feet from the trunk making a arch of leaves over the trunk. On the base of the trunk was my arrow. I ran towards it I noticed there was a rippling noise coming from the far side of the meadow. Cool, there was a creek here too. I get to my arrow and unlodge it from the tree, it took little effort.
As i turn around there's a sparkle on the edge of my vision. Like a curious cat, I walked towards it and I dig up a small box. The box is covered in dirt and mud. As I wipe it off I can tell the box is a wooden chest with golden swirls and stripes.
Just as i’m about to open the box I hear the whistle of my Mom telling me I need to head home. It's a strong whistle because i’m pretty far from my house. I stuff the mysterious box into my pants pocket and dash towards the house.
Draft two:
I pulled the bowstring back making it taunt. I aimed at my target, i imagined my frustrations at its center. I released and it hit the target almost in the center. I groaned. I was so close. I grabbed another arrow from my quiver behind my back and aimed. The taunt string shook with my breaths. I closed one eye and aimed with as much precision as i could.
I loud bang behind me started me and i gasped. My arms pulled upward and I released the arrow by accident. It flew deep into the forest.
“Dang it.” I mumbled. I started out of the dirt clearing, pulling out the other arrows as i went by the target.
The late noon shadows dappled the forest floor as i walked, scanning the forest floor for my red-feathered arrow. How far did it go? I saw a flash of red in a bush. I pulled out my arrow and stuck it with the rest in my quiver.
I was about to turn away when i saw light unnatural in a forest this dense ahead of me. I carefully walked over to it, avoiding the undergrowth.
The forest cleared into a meadow, the tall wavy grass of early fall dappled with small flowers. In the middle, about twenty feet from where i stood, was a large tree, it’s branches sprouting from the trunk, twisting on its way to the sky. The leaves created a dome over it’s trunk that only small beads of light could get through. Thick ivy fell from the branches.
I’ve only seen this type of tree in biology- wait no, botany textbooks. Very rare for this area.
I walked towards it’s base, the grass waving with a light breeze. I walked under the shadow of the tree and looked at the speckled light coming from between the leaves. This was only a sight to be seen in books or in pictures of foreign places, but yet, here i am under this great oak.
It filled me with awe. Something this big must be extremely old. Thousands of years maybe.
How had Robert or Bryan not found this? They always explore this forest. Why am i the one to find it?
I turned back to go back to my trail when i saw it. A dark box made of wood, dark gold designs swirled over it’s base. It was against the tree to my right. I picked it up and examined it. Something this beautiful surely didn’t get left behind on purpose. It was so perfect, mustn't have been here long.
“Is anybody here?” I called out gently. “I found your box.”
Birds chirps were all that responded. I wanted to leave it there, where it belonged but something stopped me. A strange longing pulled me to keep this box, like it was left for me.
That’s silly. Why would anyone leave this for me?
But the pressure stayed there, pulling me towards the box.
Is this what you call fate?
No, selfishness.
I placed it down and turned away. And i stopped dead in my tracks.
My gut tightenged.
Why did i feel the urge to own that box?
I turned and grabbed the box.
“Are you there?” I called again. This is stupid, no one’s here. “I don’t want to take your box. If you’re there please take it.”
Cicadas buzzes echoed throughout the meadow. My only response. I placed it in my jacket pocket and walked out of the meadow swiftly. Guilt fell upon me.
It depends on what you want to do.
And I'm not trying to make this about me, this is just an example.
You can do whatever you want, whether edit or delete.
I hope this helped!!
I think it's acceptable to restart, especially if you believe your ideas are salvageable, and you plan to fix what went wrong. For example, I restarted a story that I'm writing recently. I was 125,000 words in, but in the process, the plot fell apart. This time, I'm being more careful to make sure I know my plot, stick to the plot, and keep things interesting. Just know that most writers have to draft several times before their work is great, and when you're on your first draft, restarting everything while keeping your main idea is perfectly fine.
NOOO! Never restart!!!! If you want to change things, open a new document or notebook (whatever you use, I use both XD) and have your original story near you so you can edit, change your wording, add things, take things out, whatever you feel is necessary to make your story better. As you continue writing this way, new ideas will come along and they may entirely change how your story ends up, but that's okay. If you rewrite this way, you might come up with new ideas to branch off of what you'd started with and then you'll have something to change or add or take out of your book. Sorry, but I just don't think you should ever restart if you have the option of restarting or not…
Google Docs has a history page you can view so if you do delete it, you can always bring it back.
Google Docs has a history page you can view so if you do delete it, you can always bring it back.
It's still better to have a separate document though, so you can have them open at the same time. That's what I do (but I'm a nerd and use Microsoft Word for my work)
Google Docs has a history page you can view so if you do delete it, you can always bring it back.
It's still better to have a separate document though, so you can have them open at the same time. That's what I do (but I'm a nerd and use Microsoft Word for my work)
I found it better when I deleted it, just my own taste. I'd be too scared to restart so I forced myself to. Does that make any sense? I remember a lot of my story and it's better for me to restart and cut some scenes.
Your idea would work too.
Yeah, it depends on the person. You don't like the idea of restarting, and I don't like the idea of deleting. My story is just so long that there's a lot to remember.
Mine was fifty-two pages and I just remember the important stuff, not every scene needs to be included. Then again, yours was probably longer and I have a pretty good memory.
For me, we're talking like several hundred pages, so yeah. Big difference for sure. It's also been a WIP for maybe 2 years now?
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