How to Write Great Fiction — Tip 4

Did you forget to read your own story

This tip is one that a lot of us writers find hard to do. We’re so eager to continue writing our story so we don’t forget the brilliant ideas we formulated that we forget to read what we’ve already written.

But in truth, it’s very hard to pick up a thread of writing that has sat for a while or gone cold and continue writing with continuity. Though I agree that we’re all geniuses, how many of us can remember the details, tone, sense of place, and emotions that were so important in yesterday’s writing much less last week’s?

Each day’s writing session should begin with a reading session

Yes, schedule the time to read what you’ve previously written, all of it if you can. As a work of fiction builds, this may not be possible. But make it a practice to read, at minimum, the previous two chapters.

Doing this without fail each writing session will permanently imprint on your mind the important elements that need to be woven through your story with continuity and clarity. Things like physical characteristics, personality traits, and mannerisms, dates and times, names and places, etc.

It’s also interesting to read what you’ve previously written to test its impact on you, the writer. Have you ever written something brilliant today that completely fell flat when you re-read the material the next day? I have. And believe me, your readers will know flat when they read it also.

You may be groaning and saying, she just doesn’t understand. My time is limited. I don’t have time to read before I write.

Yeah, I heard you mutter! But can you afford not to read before writing? There is a saying I like that holds true in this case.

If you don’t have time to do something right the first time, when do you have time to do it over?

So slow down and give your writing the attention it deserves. That’s how some of your favorite fiction writers create the stories you so love.