Writing and reading

[azziria]

A question for those of you on my flist who are writers: how much (or how often) do you re-read your own stories? Is it a write-post-forget thing for you, or do you often read through your own back catalogue?

Personally, because I write what I want to read, I quite often go back and read my older stuff. What's good is that I'm often pleasantly surprised at how good I find it, or I find a passage or turn of phrase that makes me think "Did I really write that? Because it's really quite good...". I guess that's because time gives me some objectivity and distance and the chance to appreciate the writing when I'm not totally wrapped up in the creation process.

So... post and forget, or re-read?

Comments

[shinysylver.livejournal.com]

I reread my stuff a lot as well. I tend to reread mostly the week or two after I post and do find that even just that time makes me appreciate myself more.

I occasionally reread my older work but not as often.

[azziria.livejournal.com]

I occasionally have a re-read session where I go back and go through a lot of older stuff all at one go. Other than that, like you I re-read quite a lot in the week or so after I first post.

[delicatale.livejournal.com]

I tend to re-read my stuff. When I first write it, I kinda want to post and the whole editing process is quite hard for me, but longer term I quite often go back and re-read some fics that I love.

[lj_stowaway]

Personally, because I write what I want to read, I quite often go back and read my older stuff. What's good is that I'm often pleasantly surprised at how good I find it, or I find a passage or turn of phrase that makes me think "Did I really write that? Because it's really quite good...". I guess that's because time gives me some objectivity and distance and the chance to appreciate the writing when I'm not totally wrapped up in the creation process.

Yes, exactly this!

[wickedtruth.livejournal.com]

I do re-read, but mostly by accident - that is that I will go to amend or correct something and sometimes I have to read a few paragraphs to find what I'm looking for. It's not something that I would go back to do otherwise, because I tend to see flaws, rather than anything else (even the bits I think are OK seem to always be overshadowed by the flaws around them).

I don't tend to cringe when I have to re-read though, so I guess that's progress...?

[azziria.livejournal.com]

The not-cringing is definitely progress, m'dear - although of course there is nothing to cringe at in your fic, as I know I've mentioned before... *hugs*

[kare.livejournal.com]

I sometimes go reread, but not often (if I do, it's often with some specific purpose). In fact, I'm weird (probably) because other than LJ, I don't archive my stuff anywhere. There are fic from past fandoms that have been lost now and it's okay with me because they existed in the moment I wanted them to exist in.

I'm the same with my LJ though. I know some folks archive/back up/reread posts, but I seldom do unless it was some major life event. It wouldn't bother me at all if say tomorrow LJ crashed and ate everything, posts, fic and all. I'd just start fresh.

[azziria.livejournal.com]

I sometimes like to look back to see what I was doing or thinking on a certain day years back.

But I think the fic thing is unusual, though. Although I can see the benefits of living in the moment :)

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

I re-read myself a fair bit, for much the same reasons as you named. Also, because it allows me to see how far my writing has come over the years.

[alamo-girl80.livejournal.com]

I reread my stuff a lot. Sometimes its a good thing, for the reasons you stated and sometimes its a 'Holy shit, WHAT did I WRITE and WHY?!?" thing.

The distance thing is good, and sometimes, i feel motivated to edit the WTF stuff in my old stuff, but sometimes, it's nice to see something I wrote and decide that, yeah, I'm pretty proud of that.

[portraitofafool.livejournal.com]

Re-read, re-read, re-read... and then do it forty more times just to be sure. That's about how it works for me. Then I end up with parts of my own stories memorized. However, most of what I am doing when I'm re-reading is editing--right down to re-writing an ending to something in the LJ post box.

I can't say I read many of my stories over for the pleasure of reading them, though there are a couple I have re-read for fun (This is Not an Exit for example). I've re-read How to Move in Silence a couple of times lately, too, to try and gear myself up for jumping into that 'verse again, things like that.

Long story short; I do re-read, mostly for fine-tooth comb editing purposes though and not for fun. I should've just said that to begin with, eh? *g*

[azziria.livejournal.com]

Ah, but why say anything in one line when you can use three paragraphs?? *g*

[portraitofafool.livejournal.com]

I will learn the fine art of Commenting with Concision one day, I will! *scuffs feet*