#don't delete your words

[novlr]

Don’t Delete Your Words. Your Words Have Value. - Novlr

In the moment it can be tempting to just start over but do not delete your words! Revise, re-use, or learn from them instead.

Is there anything worse than delete regret?

Before deleting your words, ask yourself these three, simple questions.

🔵 Can I revise it? 🔵 Can I re-use it? 🔵 Can I learn from it?

Nothing written is ever wasted. Don't delete, just archive.

[prosebypamela]

Never delete your words

Every word you’ve ever written is worthy.  Everything you’ve ever written can serve a purpose.  I know the delete button is tempting, but don’t do it!  You might regret it some day.  Instead of deleting, do the following:

1. Revise

Can you make your words work with a few simple changes? Give yourself some distance. Move to a different scene and come back to the one you’re not happy with.  Has your opinion changed?  A first draft is never the final, so don’t expect the first thing you write to be perfect.

2. Re-use

If you can’t make your words work for the scene you’re working on, save them for later!  Another scene, or a whole other book, might be just the right fit for what you’ve written.

3. Learn

No matter how bad you think your words are, they represent a learning opportunity. Analyse them to find out what works, what doesn’t, and why, or simply save them to see how you’ve improved. People aren’t born with the talent to write, they practice. Seeing how your style changes over the years can be just as informative as what you’ve written.