Most people think the hardest part of writing a book is getting the first draft down. I used to think the same. But now, deep in the trenches with Across the Brief, I’ve learned the truth: rewriting can be far tougher than starting fresh.
It sounds backwards. After all, when you’ve already got a draft, you know the story. You know where it begins, how it ends, and all the beats in between. Surely it’s just a case of smoothing it out? But rewriting isn’t about polishing. It’s about rebuilding — and that’s where the real challenge begins.
Why the rewrite drags
A blank page gives you freedom. You can take risks, chase surprises, or throw away entire threads if they don’t work. Rewriting, though, is a balancing act. You’re locked into a version of the story you don’t want to abandon — but you know it isn’t ready. That constant tug-of-war makes progress slow, sometimes painfully slow.
With Across the Brief, I’ve hit that wall over and over. I love the story, I believe in the characters, but I can’t just let the original draft stand. It’s missing something. And that “something” takes time to find.
Staying true vs. making it real
The hardest part is walking the fine line between staying true to the original story and making it more immersive. The bones of Across the Brief are right — Megan and Tom, their world, the arc of their relationship. I don’t want to lose that. But the first draft didn’t go deep enough. It skimmed the surface when it should have pulled the reader into the room.
That’s what I’m chasing now. The scrape of a chair on the floor, the faint smell of rain through an open window, the way a smile can lift and then collapse in the space of a breath. Those are the details that bring a story alive. But adding them without overloading the page? That’s the grind of a rewrite.
Why it takes so long
People sometimes wonder why books take years to finish. This is why. Drafting gets you the shape. Rewriting is where you carve in the detail — slowly, carefully, and often with more frustration than joy. It’s not glamorous, and it’s definitely not fast. But it’s the only way to make the story worth the reader’s time.
Why it matters
So, yes, rewriting feels harder than writing from scratch. But it’s also what turns an okay draft into a book you can be proud of. That’s the stage I’m in with Across the Brief. It’s slow, it’s messy, and some days it feels like the book is fighting me. But when it’s done? The story will be stronger for it.
Writing isn’t glamorous. Rewriting even less so. But it’s the only way to take a story from “nearly there” to something that truly connects.
Do you find rewriting harder than drafting? Drop a comment and let me know. And if you want to follow my writing journey — warts and all — head over to cmeewrites.com.