I just posted all the chapters of my edited first book.

[Deleted member 68927]

My first book, Signs of the times, needed editing desperately. I didn't want to give it to it. Because I wanted to work on a new project, rather than put in the hours to tame the clusterfuck I wrote when I was first starting to write, last October. But, I started getting views out of nowhere one day and I figured that, well, someone is reading and enjoying this book. How much more will they enjoy it if it wasn't unicorn barf?

And so, for a week, I did my best to trim the mistakes to a minimum and to break the big walls of text (the first 20 something chapters were 5k word long) into manageable chunks. It took me an hour and a half to publish all the edited chapters. And now, I can proudly say that my first work looks like something a grown-up, and not a teenager, wrote.

I learned a lot of things while writing that book. Like that, a good paragraph is no bigger than four lines. That a good chapter length is 2k words. Failing to squeeze the scene in them, 3k. But no bigger. Later, with my other book, The Apple Grotto Nymph, I learned that to end a dialogue, you put a comma, not a period. That is only for the first piece of dialogue of a paragraph. The second could end in a period. Also, that it is not ok to place more than two pieces of dialogue in a paragraph. And much, much more.

I guess, despite how tired RR made me, it was good for providing feedback. They are not afraid to tell you when your finger painting sucks. That said, I am glad I left that site. I think that I am at a level where I just want to have fun and what I write is readable enough for others to enjoy. Plus, I have picked up new tricks when it comes to editing. Like listening to a MP3 version of the chapters and making outlines after the chapters, so I know the details of the book and wouldn't have to flip through chapters to check what color my MC's eyes were.

Anyway, would you put in the effort into fixing an old work? Or, would you delete it?

 

[JCountry]

To answer the question, my past actions, and what I am doing now would indicate the former. Recently, I have been working on chapter fifty of a rewrite for one of my older fictions. So yes, I as an author do put in the effort of making older works better. In fact, I went beyond simple editing and went so far as to expand the sub arcs. The first arc of that fiction felt a bit rushed to me and had a few problems to iron out. I plan to start posting it once I get into the second major arc, which might take a while seeing as its now fifty chapters long and the first arc was originally only sixteen chapters long. While plot-wise, I am between chapters eight and nine in the original.

 

[RavenRunes]

I would if I liked it enough and it wasn't too much of a cluster fuck.

 

[LunaCampari]

I think it depends. I tend to correct and edit my stories however, I wouldn't edit a story from let's say five years ago as long as I am roughly statisfied with them and there are of decent quality.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

I just want to point out the chapter length at 2k words applies mostly to online novels with updates because it gives the reader at least 10-15 minutes of reading. It doesn’t necessarily apply to novels someone would buy all at once.

 

[Saileri]

I just want to point out the chapter length at 2k words applies mostly to online novels with updates because it gives the reader at least 10-15 minutes of reading. It doesn’t necessarily apply to novels someone would buy all at once.

And doesn't always have to apply at all. Rather than that, consistency is the key. It's more of a suggestion as you should find your own rhythm that fits the story you are writing. Coming from someone with a 6k word project, 3k word project, and 4k word project in terms of average words per chapter. After writing for a moment, you notice your own writing style and habits and can more or less predict how many words you take to describe the events you want in that chapter.

 

[lambenttyto]

Anyway, would you put in the effort into fixing an old work? Or, would you delete it?

When you say "delete it" you do mean off site and not from your PC, right? I would leave it up.

Also, I regularly break every single one of those things you mentioned, lol. For lines... Well it really depends on what you're reading on. A PC screen will make the lines fewer, while if you read on a phone, it makes them pile up. There's nothing wrong with that, assuming your paragraphs arent causing confusion.