The rewriting process is the most challenging part of writing, and it is indispensable. The effort of completing a book with all its necessary elements falling into place is a feat worthy of admiration. Everyone can write, but not everyone can achieve a novel. The writer who has accomplished this understands what it is.

If the writer looks back, he recalls tightening the loose ends, having a profound understanding of the elements that go into the creation of his world and characters. He can go deep, as he possesses a good grasp of the infinitesimal details that go into the making of his novel. The first draft lays the groundwork for the rewriting process. Many writers will agree that rewriting is more challenging than writing the first draft.

The writer has finished his first draft and sets it aside to replenish his brain. He then goes back to the material and reads what he has produced. With a critical eye, he traces his steps and discovers loopholes in the process. A loophole in the story demands fixing. Problems with the plot, conflict, foreshadowing, character, pacing, story arc, etc. happen to every writer. He wrote the first draft as a preparation to set the general ideas he made for the novel. He is not yet aware of the nitty-gritty details. Now that he has reviewed his work, he discovers areas for correction as well as what must be left out.

Let us say that the writer finds a problem with foreshadowing. He reads on page 56 when Lynx Montel, the main antagonist, appears in the life of the protagonist. The writer is aware that later on Montel will be held accountable for the genocide of villagers who refuse to abandon their ancestral lands. This will happen on page 112. However, the writer did not foreshadow the genocide scene. He begins rewriting.

Rewriting example: The writer begins his scene on page 56 and creates a conflict that leads to the genocide later on. For instance, he could write about Montel making a call to a leader of a mercenary group. In rewriting, the writer will have less effort in establishing the conflict, because his first draft serves as his blueprint—he has an idea as to which direction he wants his novel to take. He can develop his novel in a manner he sees fit. Whatever direction the writer takes, it will be compatible with the other elements he has established for the tone, dimension, setting, motivation, and characters. This applies to whatever loophole the writer discovers as he rereads his novel.

The effort of rewriting is rewarding. Rewriting is where the writer truly applies his creativity, his intellect, and his powers of creating a world that operates under his machinations. The writer looks at his work with critical appraisal, without any inhibitions in adding or removing. Many esteemed writers are famous for rewriting relentlessly, for they are harsh critics of their work. A first draft is a mere step toward the completion of the novel.