Trash, then rewrite

[RootBeerBert]

Despite all the time I’ve spent brainstorming character arcs, the power system, and possible turning points throughout my story, I haven’t gotten to actually writing it. I wrote a few chapters way back, but I’ve stalled on them and haven’t got back to it. I’m thinking about going and just writing straight trash in bulk, just to get my thoughts on paper, and then rewriting it all at a later date. Is that a sound strategy or is there something else I can do?

 

[AYM]

First drafts are intended to be refined. The outline or draft, whatever it is, is better written down and not only in your head.

Rewrites can be done a period of time after you finished the draft, or after a set of events, or after an entire arc, or after the entire story. It's up to you. You don't have to publicly release your drafts. That's also up to you.

 

[KoyukiMegumi]

Despite all the time I’ve spent brainstorming character arcs, the power system, and possible turning points throughout my story, I haven’t gotten to actually writing it. I wrote a few chapters way back, but I’ve stalled on them and haven’t got back to it. I’m thinking about going and just writing straight trash in bulk, just to get my thoughts on paper, and then rewriting it all at a later date. Is that a sound strategy or is there something else I can do?

You don't have to trash it. You could always rework it. What I do usually is reread my story after a long time passes. And that makes me add and refine things. Fill plot holes that might've formed by mistake or inconsistencies in the writing.

You could always just trash it and start over though. It's up to you.

 

[quagma]

that's pretty much what i do. write it all down, organize it, then make it look pretty. lots of rewritten versions of different chapters, just sitting in my notes and lore section, waiting to be used somewhere.

 

[J_Chemist]

Despite all the time I’ve spent brainstorming character arcs, the power system, and possible turning points throughout my story, I haven’t gotten to actually writing it. I wrote a few chapters way back, but I’ve stalled on them and haven’t got back to it. I’m thinking about going and just writing straight trash in bulk, just to get my thoughts on paper, and then rewriting it all at a later date. Is that a sound strategy or is there something else I can do?

So I am the same way in a sense. I understand the skeleton of what I want my story to be but it never really comes to fruition until I write it. So I do. But, after I do get so far along, I tend to realize either I've left plot holes, left details unfinished, or otherwise wrote some bullshit that needs fixing. This is, I believe, a decent and good process to utilize when you're doing hobby writing like we are. Especially if you have the time and flexibility to do it.

Write your story, get the idea and core idea you want for it down and legitimized, then review your work and make your edits/changes. Even if you get twenty or thirty chapters in. Hell, I got 70 chapters in then realized I fucked up 40 chapters back and now I'm doing a rewrite of it all. Shit happens. Do what is best for your story, your writing, and do what you think is the best option.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Do it! You'll have a lot more fun that way.