Well I finally finished my novel. This includes printing out a copy, and editing it, then editing it again. Well now I went to reread it, and I couldn't really read it. Is this normal, I mean I know theres a difference in my writing style from when I stated to now, I know that the character seems weaker to me then normal, because he has not developed yet. I also know that when writers get their work published, they do not read their books. What do you think?
I've yet to finish a novel, so I can't say for sure. But I can go through and read what I have finished just for the pleasure of reading. If I can keep up the energy and finish the thing, I don't think I'll have a problem reading it over and over. After all, I'm writing the novel I've always wanted to read, but nobody has ever bothered writing it.
If you're having trouble reading it, then perhaps it isn't really finished. If you are seeing that your writing style from what you wrote earlier is still inferior to the later work, then you need to do some more editing. A novel requires many, many readings and revisions before it is truly finished, and even then, a professional editor will find more to correct before it is ready to be published, if you get that far. Make it the best it can be. BTW, who says that published writers do not read their books? Rather a broad generalization, that.
I don't know whether this is what you're referring to, exactly -- but when I write something and look at it weeks or months later, sometimes it's hard to get myself to read it because I'm afraid I'll hate it and it will be embarrassing. haha. But that's good, it's what your revising side needs.
If published writers don't read their own stuff after it's published, it's probably because they read it dozens of times while they were writing it. I haven't published anything, but I read my own stuff a ton when I'm working on it, and I can still read it for pleasure.
I went over it with a buddy of mine, and found I should rewrite chapter 2, and expand chapters 3,4; possibly add some others.
I went over it with a buddy of mine, and found I should rewrite chapter 2, and expand chapters 3,4; possibly add some others.
I've already read my novel about 800 times. Once it's published, I could see not reading it again, just because I will always see things to change, tiny little edits to make, etc. that I can never do. I could see that driving me crazy. Heck, I do it now, with books that aren't mine. I'm so deep in my editing mindset right now that I'm editing everything in my head. I read and I think 'that's passive voice' or 'she doesn't need those dialogue tags' or 'that sentence could be written better.'
In the end, if you're bored reading your novel you need to put it down and let it stew, and if, when your brain has recovered from the stress of writing it, you still don't like it, then is the time to re-write -- when you can look at it with fresher eyes. You're probably just sick of your own words. Re: the reading after publication thing.... A lot of writers will end up making corrections between print runs, sometimes re-releasing a book entirely if they can get away with it. Extreme example, but look at The Hobbit - Tolkien borked up its plot entirely with Lord of the Rings and had to change all the Gollum stuff and half the mentions of the Ring after that.
