In a post on Writers Write, Susanne Bennett suggests what you can do with stories or sections of stories that you wrote but abandoned. “We all have some literary skeletons in our closets. It comes with the trade,” she says. “Sometimes, you need to finish a poem or story or even novel to realize that for some reason, it just doesn’t work. There’s something about it that makes you want to hide it from readers.”
Bennett says we should never throw away partial or completed stories that we don’t intend to use. Odds are, there’s something in the story that you can use later, either recycled or improved upon. So what should you do instead?
- Create A Place To Store Abandoned Writing. Create a digital or physical file for storing these manuscripts and let them sit for awhile.
- Perform An Autopsy. When some time has passed, re-read one of the manuscripts and think about why you abandoned it. Does the reason still apply? Did you get bored with it or not have the skill to finish? Has anything changed?
- Don’t Let Writing Go To Waste. Consider whether you can do something with the work. Do you still hate it? Are there some salvageable bits? Have your skills improved since you last reviewed it? You might find that the problems that plagued the manuscript are now fixable. Sort your abandoned projects into those that can be revamped and those that contain some goods bits that can be salvaged.
- Perform CPR. Your revamp file contains manuscripts that can be saved. By now, you should have an idea of what needs to be done. Can you make the story work?
- Salvage the Wrecks. The salvage file contains stories that don’t work or that you never finished. Go through these and identify anything worth salvaging. Did you find a great character or scene? Is there a theme you want to explore in a different story or a setting you want to inhabit? Maybe the 2-sentence premise still intrigues you, even if your first try at a story didn’t. Sort these however you like and set them aside for a rainy day.
- Revisit Your Graveyard In Times Of Need. Visit your graveyard when you’re between projects, stuck for an idea, or simply need some inspiration. You might find just what you need for your current WIP. Even if you don’t, your abandoned works will probably help stir your imagination.
- Keep A Writer’s Notebook. Put your best abandoned bits in a notebook that you can access easily when the need arises. You might take away only a setting or character name for a new project, but the information will be there when you need it.
