6 Ways to Turn an Abandoned Manuscript Into Your Next Novel
Table of Contents
One thing that I’m sure many writers have experienced before is the idea of abandoning manuscripts. It happens sometimes where we have such great ideas for stories and we have amazing concepts but when we actually go to write them, we may DNF or get to the end and suddenly realize that we don’t actually like this story or we’re not feeling it anymore. However, just because it’s sitting there unifinished doesn’t mean that you’re manuscript is gone in the dust forever. There’s still a chance to bring it back. So, here are a few ways you can turn an abandoned manuscript into your next novel.
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1. Do a Once-Over
Before you start doing any writing, I want you to pick up your manuscript and do the following:
- Remove the ability to actually edit your manuscript. Use an e-reader or print it out
- Grab a highlighter or use a digital one and highlight:
- Scenes that excite you in green
- Scenes that bore you in yellow
- Plot holes, contradictions, and errors in red
Identify the parts that you think are worth keeping and identify the parts that don’t work for you anymore.
2. Extract the Core Premise in One Sentence
Try doing the “elevator pitch” method, but even more condensed. Identify the premise of your story in 25 words max. This is the sort of spine that clarifies how your story should stay even when you’re rewriting your manuscript or at least portions of it.
3. Re-Outline With the “Keep, Kill, Combine” Grid
| Chapter | Keep? | Kill? | Combine With… |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – Tavern Brawl | ✅ | — | |
| 2 – Exposition Dinner | ❌ | — | |
| 3 – Rooftop Escape | Merge Ch. 1 for faster inciting incident |
Work scene-by-scene until the outline of your story fits on two pages. You now have a lean skeleton.
4. Set a 30-Day Rewrite Sprint (Yes, 30)
One thing I think can help keep someone on track when it comes to an abandoned manuscript is to use the idea of setting a high-stakes deadline/goal. It sometimes helps writers to have a sort of strict, self-imposed deadline. You might find that you are more encouraged to actually finish up a story when you feel like you have to get it done right away.
If you use my agenda workbook, Sprint to a Novel in 30 Days, you’ll be able to get a whole planning section to plan out your story and then you’ll be able to plan out your goals and keep track of your goals and reflect on them at the end of each day and the end of each week.
5. Go Back to the Drawing Board With Your Characters
Maybe the problem wasn’t your story, but rather the lens that you were analyzing your story with. Maybe the problem with you abandoning your manuscript came from the fact that your characters just didn’t inspire you enough to continue wanting to write it.
So, my recommendation is that you go back to the drawing board with your characters. Sometimes, it helps to break them down into smaller components to identify where the weak points are. You can do this using my Ultimate Character Creation Guide and Workbook, which will help you figure out how to build an enhanced character that immerses your readers into the story properly.
6. Refresh Your World
If you’re writing a more speculative fiction type of story that requires lots of world building, sometimes, what I find is that it’s also the world building that plays a role in the satisfaction of the writer toward their manuscript. So, one thing you can do is that you can try and refresh your world or start it over completely from scratch or change up some elements here and there.
The best way to learn how to create worlds for your stories is through The Ultimate Guide to World Building, which is a 340+ page workbook and guidebook that I created to help you learn everything you need to know about world building like a pro.
FAQs
That’s perfectly fine! Rewrite it in your new voice and fix up that old prose that you might not be satisfied with.
It depends on how much has changed.
Save them in a different file. You may end up using their concepts for another story later on!
You can check out my Ultimate Writing Guides and other products in my shop to help you with your writing journey!
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