I recently reread a friends older piece of work and they mentioned possibly rewriting and revising the story. It got me thinking about some of my older works and possibly rewriting those. As writers we evolve, our writing styles change and so does our over all story telling. What are your thoughts on rewrites?

I've actually gone back and edited old chapters of stories, their summary and added whole scenes. It tends to happen as over the years you grow as a writer. I think it's a natural urge; especially when you see your old grammatical/spelling mistakes e_e

Rinku, how long have you been writing? I agree, I actually just received an offer from one of my story followers to beta for me. Super nice of her, and I have re-written like five chapters because I went back and hated what I originally had written.

Well, I have been writing as a hobby since I was around seven. Never posted anything until a few years ago (2011). So I'd say at heart, 18 years, but officially, four XD

Wow 18 years! I've been writing since I was an early teenager. I think I first posted in 2007ish. But when I moved recently I found notebooks filled with stories, and like little dribbles. It was cute to read, and then others I just sit there baffled because I have no idea what was going through my head haha.

Lol my seven year old imagination was very weird and I had no idea what a plot was So I can understand the whole prior work just being a like "wth was I thinking or at least, trying to?" moment

It's a laugh to read super old stuff when you're a kid.

Definitely. My first ever posted fanfic was "A Debt to be Paid". I have honestly looked at it various times, editing things, and then even sometimes regretting or altering certain scenes/plot devices lol I am still trying to find my voice/writing style - either I'm too descriptive or too straightforward. I am searching for that medium still ^.^

You're always growing as you write more - it is a talent/art. So its understandable that as you gain more experience and mature, your writing changes

"A Debt to be Paid" is one of my favourites! When I can't find anything new I retread that one and a few others! I have a list on my laptop haha

Thank you It's my baby n.n I am still tryin to figure out where I'm going with it sometimes XD That's why I like rewriting/altering it as I go a long - helps it flow better since I take long pauses at times between chapters o.o Which I'm trying to no longer do...

Well I think you're doing a good job. I adore it haha It's on my classics list

Rewrites are good if you've got the stomach for it.

I myself can't rewrite alot of my old stuff. Mostly because I eyebleach whenever I read old stories of mine with spelling, punctuation, and grammar issues. It is a good way, however, to see where I was, and to know where I am now as a writer. Still need a lot of practice and work to even begin cracking the nut of being a better writer.

Oddly enough though, I think I was a more fluid writer five years ago than I am now.

I'm too much of a stickler for detail now. So I get bogged down in scenes or descriptions, probably my overuse of adverbs.

I wrote more fluidly when I first stepped into the Inuyasha fandom. I also write with less stress and difficulty with comedy pieces too. I'm not a proponent of squishy romance. It's boring. But comedy is fun.

Ironic really.

I would rewrite some of my old stuff, maybe, but I'm more interested in writing new stuff.

~ Pyre

There isn't enough eye bleach to go around then!

I have my moments with super squishy romance and shameless fluff, but for the most part I tend to write darker pieces with mature themes with added romance. I was that kid who watched American Justice instead of Hey Arnold, that has a lot too do with it. But now that I reread some of my older works post and non posted I find that my brain actually sorts them out better. Like my story Dragon Dancer, ( rated MA no Yims please and thank you) was actually written years and year ago before I posted it. Since I was in school I had not gotten around to revising the older chapters, now that I have graduated I couldn't wait too do it. I suppose it had been bothering me.

I did see the writer's post where someone mention Hemmingwayapp, I started using that and found out that I was so guilty of over adverb usage. But since I started using that site to help, I've cut down some. Not all, but I'm a descriptive person. I'm a sucker for over descriptive stories sometimes. It lets me see what the author is seeing.

Any time I as much as glance at my older fics I get an urge to rewrite them.

Still, I highly doubt I ever will. For one, I'm lazy and I loathe revising. And for second, I'd rather focus on the future than on the past.

I've come a long way, I'm hardly the same person anymore after these nine odd years of writing SessKag fics! Of course I could do a much better job now on those early fics... But the reason I write better now is because of everything I learned when I was writing those older fics. As cringe-worthy as they can sometimes be to me, they're the milestones marking my learning curve. So I'm just going to leave them as they are, and strive to do better with my next fic.

That is a good way of looking at it.

I guess I'm in a weird position because I stopped writing for a few years then picked a story back up to finish it. I feel the need to just re write the first couple of chapters, because they are super rough.