To reread or not to reread

Stories have a way of evolving from conception to draft to completion. I know when I began writing my latest release, I had only a vague idea into what it might become, and even then I had no idea I would want turn it into a series.

Most of my closest friends in the biz have divulged the following: they don’t like rereading their work. Understandable, really. It’s no secret that you will be the harshest critic of your writing—God knows I am. Regardless of how proud you are of a manuscript, rereading it, especially after it’s Out There and bullet-proof to corrections, clarifications, or changes, can be painful. It’s especially painful for someone who not only catches an oopsie, but recognizes something that simply doesn’t mesh with what the subsequent books, or even chapters of the same book, discuss.

I encourage all authors, regardless of whether or not you’re drafting a series, to reread your own material as much as possible. In my case, it makes me a glutton for punishment, but I can often pinpoint mechanics in my work that missed the mark, or remind myself of something I need to carry with me to the next project. If you’re working on a series, it’s incredibly important to refresh yourself on the little details you might otherwise be prone to neglect or forget. Not only is it good for you from a writing standpoint, it means you’re doing your research and being fair to your readers.