Revamping an old WIP

We’ve all got them: folders full of snippets, stories, half-finished novels and characters that never really went anywhere. Maybe it’s a story you never finished because you ran out of time or inspiration. Maybe it’s a snippet of something that didn’t work for what you were working on at the time.

No words written are ever “lost,” even if you end up cutting them from a story. Sometimes, we need distance from a work in order to figure out what we need to do in order to bring it fully to life. Sometimes the idea we originally had needs to marinate and grow before we can write it. These old stories aren’t forgotten - they’re just waiting for you to come back to them.

Here are some helpful strategies to returning to older works and getting into the right mindset to write again.

Read through what you’ve written.

This readthrough is just for you. Don’t focus on taking notes, just appreciate what you’ve already written. Remember what drew you to this story in the first place. There are likely gems buried within your writing that you forgot about, especially if it’s been years since you’ve last looked at a piece. Celebrate those!

Gather your inspiration - again.

Did you make playlists for your story in the past? Build Pinterest boards with aesthetics, inspiration, and faces for your characters? Now is the time to break them out, or to make them if you didn’t before. This is one way of giving your brain the inspiration it needs to take the story where it needs to go next. Think of it as food for your muses.

If you had made notes for your previous draft, in a notebook or a story bible, get those too. Remember, when it comes to writing, if you don’t put it down in words somewhere, you will lose that thought forever. You will not “remember that when you get home.” I promise. For example, I returned to a novel I started a decade ago for my Camp NaNoWriMo project this year, and past!me did not leave myself any notes on the original draft. I could remember the ending I had in mind, but if I had figured out details in 2011, they’re long gone now. Save everything to help your future self out! And if your old notes no longer work for your new version of the story, file those away and keep looking forward.

Read your work again, this time with an editor’s eye.

Now, grab a notebook or open a new document on your computer. It’s go time!

During this readthrough, start making notes on what works and what you want to change. What questions do you have as you read? What is the purpose of each scene, each chapter? What would make each scene stronger?

It’s okay to realize that some things you’ve already written aren’t working. Note where those are so you know not to add them to the next draft. No first draft of anything is “perfect.” <i>All a perfect first draft needs to do is exist.</i> Remember this as you’re examining your draft with a critical eye.

Outline where you want to go.

(If you are a diehard pantser, perhaps this method will not work for you. I do suggest you jot down something about your story, however, if only so you have something to reference later on.)

Now, take all your ideas and notes and plan out the next draft of your story. If it’s a novel, jot down notes for each scene - what you want to keep, what you want to change. Make these notes as detailed as you need, depending on what work you feel you need. Perhaps a one-sentence summary per scene is helpful. I personally jot down brief notes, plus any new lines of dialogue I want to add or keep. Here’s a screenshot example from one of my novel drafts.

Use whatever outlining method works for you! You’re bulking up the initial outline (or creating one, if it didn’t exist before) so you can crank out a killer next draft.

Write!

This is the fun part! Take all these new ideas and write that next draft! You got this - I believe in you!