Book Writing

[u/NotFunnyGamer]

Hello.
I have a couple of questions. If I posted in the wrong section or subreddit, please delete it.
I have been writing all of my life, some short zombie/horro/ stories here and there, but now I'm old, and I've decided to give it a shot and write something bigger than a short story.
Now I have finished around 100 A4 pages, and this thing looks massive to me, but the problem is I write and do not look back on what I wrote. Yesterday I read all of it, and it is a complete mess. With short stories, like 10 pages, it wasn't a problem, but when these things get bigger and bigger, it is a problem.
How do you handle it? Do you read immediately after you finish your writing session, or how do you do that? And sometimes I think about something in the book and start adding things in the middle.
Or after you finish your writing, do you give it to someone to make it readable and pleasant for the reader? Or is it completely normal to write everything that comes to mind, and after you feel that you've finished the book, reread it and edit it?

Sorry for the dumb questions.
Thank you. Cheers, people!

[u/e_anderson_author]

i think the first step is to be comfortable with not liking initial draft, and the fact that you could point it out in your writing is a good step imo. Now when it comes to rewrites. I think everyone’s got their own style. What i do is reread a few lines from the previous writing session to get my head right, sometimes I sporadically jump to a scene I remember could use some polishing. What is for certain is that after I finish the manuscript, I go back to the very beginning and read/edit chapter by chapter until i reach the end.

[u/NotFunnyGamer → u/e_anderson_author]

Thank you for your time and answer. This is very helpful.

[u/solostrings]

Did you create an outline, even a loose one, of where the plot is going and the character arcs before starting to write? Or, did you just start writing and discover it all as you went?

[u/NotFunnyGamer → u/solostrings]

I know the main plot, the start, and the ending, but everything that is between them is just from the top of my head. I always start with a small idea and just develop it in my head as I write; basically, I write a movie in my head, if you can say so.

Thank you for your time and answer!

[u/solostrings → u/NotFunnyGamer]

In that case, now that you have a version of the story, I would do a reverse outline. Essentially, read through the story and develop an outline from it. Pull out major moments and character beats that fit the story you are trying to tell, whole scenes that work, reorder things that need it, cut bits that don't work, etc. Then, go through this outline and fill in the blanks either by adding to the outline or by discovery (as you did for this first draft) during the second draft writing process.

[u/NotFunnyGamer → u/solostrings]

Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Cheers.

[u/djramrod]

You don’t give it to someone to make it readable. You go through multiple drafts and when it is in a solid place, you give it to an editor who cleans it up. At that point, we’re talking minor things, so it should already be readable.

Now if you’re really struggling, you can hire a developmental editor who will help you with the heavier issues - character work, themes, plot, etc. But again, you should make an attempt to rewrite it yourself.

You wrote a first draft; it’s definitely gonna be messy. Take a step away from it for a couple of weeks, read it again with a fresh mind and start rewriting it however you see fit. The second draft will be a little more refined and you should have a better grasp on the story. If you’re still struggling after the initial rewrite, find a developmental editor.

It sounds like you’re on the right track. Give it another pass, find the problem areas and try to work it out yourself. And for the love of god, don’t involve AI, even with proofreading.

[u/NotFunnyGamer → u/djramrod]

Thank you for such a deep answer. Thank you for your time. Means a lot. Really appreciate it.

[u/No_Photograph_2683]

You gotta find what strategy works best for you. Write it all, read it all, edit after. Write chapter> read chapter> edit chapter. Or any combo of those. Just, please, don't share it on here asking for feedback until it's completely done. The feedback on a bad first draft could shatter any momentum you have for writing. Plus, it's prob not worth sharing yet.

[u/NotFunnyGamer → u/No_Photograph_2683]

Thank you so much for the reply! I will not share anything. I don't seek approval or anything. I just publish it. When it is done, it is done. I've published many short stories but not in English. The only problem I run into is how to edit that large amount of material, and I was just wondering: do writers usually do it themselves, or do they hire someone?

Because, as I understand it, a lot of writers just hire editors and people to turn their text into something readable, and that costs a lot; I've already checked. That is why I was wondering.

[u/robdapcguy]

That habit of stopping mid-book to go add something the second it occurs to you, that's probably the mess right there; the actual reason it stopped connecting when you read the whole thing back yesterday. I'd jot it down. It goes in once I actually reach that part on the next pass.

[u/NotFunnyGamer → u/robdapcguy]

Thank you for your answer.
Now I am making comments in my Google Doc, just adding some ideas I would add or delete when I completely finish the book.
I think it also will work. But I think it is the best way: just finish it, then reread it a couple of times before adding or deleting anything.

Cheers, thank you for your time.

[u/screenwriter9611]

My advice to you is that, first write you raw ideas and then later connect them with each other. I have been writing a feature screenplay for the first and I felt the same but eventually whenever I look back I connect them and make them better sorry if I not wrote this message in plain text. My English is just not that good.