Writers, Rewrite the Masters to Improve Your Writing

by Bruce Brady @BDBrady007

The other day I began reading a New York Times best-selling novel with a critical eye and noticed something I thought odd. It could have been written better.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I’m better than that author. I’m certainly not. My point here is to make us all aware of a couple truths, and an idea.

First, The fact that it was a best-selling novel and could have been better written, proves to me that story is king. If we write compelling stories, the reader will forgive grammatical errors and less than perfect structure. Our stories, whether fiction or nonfiction, must engage our readers. It’s possible for us to write perfect sentences and paragraphs, and still bore the reader to death.

Test me on this. Think of your favorite book, then see if it isn’t the story that captures you. When writing, I urge you to focus on story and leave English Composition for later. In fact, leave it to others who are more savvy in this area, if you’re like me.

Second, Under the pressure to meet deadlines, we all—writers and editors—will make and miss mistakes. We’re human. In the process of rewriting, there comes a point where we’re just plain tired of reading the same story over and over. Exhaustion breeds errors. Also, we will skip over our own errors while mentally inserting the words we intended. Readers do the same thing. And editors are readers.

Turn off your inner-editor and read a book for pleasure. Then re-read it with a critical eye and see if you inserted some words that just seemed right but weren’t there. I know I do this often. It’s natural.

Finally, as I was mentally rewriting portions of this best-seller, the Lord hit me with an idea that may be helpful for you as well. He told me to finish reading the story, then go back and rewrite those sentences that I felt could have been better. The beauty of this exercise is that it will help me—and perhaps you—become a better writer.

So I challenge you to conduct your own rewrites of some of your favorite authors and see if it doesn’t improve your writing. Please don’t ever use their names in discussions or postings. This is not about criticizing another writer. It’s about challenging yourself to be the best storyteller you can be.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments section.

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Bruce Brady is an author, writer and playwright. His work has appeared in Focus on the Family’s Thriving Family, www.ChristianDevotions.us, and on stage. Currently, Bruce is working on a Young Adult Novel about a boy who must deal with the death of his dad, being bullied, and helping his mom through her grief. His first five pages took third place in the ACFW South Carolina Chapter’s “First Five Pages” contest.

When he’s not writing, Bruce spends time learning from and helping other writers. He serves as Mentor of Word Weavers International’s Online Chapter, and as a member of Cross ‘N’ Pens, The Writer’s Plot, ACFW’s National and South Carolina Chapters.

“My dream is to entertain my readers and give them hope as they travel the rocky road of life.”