Re-write, Re-tell.

As a writer of two novels and over forty short stories (4 of them published so far), I know what it's like to sit at the old laptop and crank out a yarn for others to read.  And I know that what I like is the writing part.  The re-writing is well, okay.  But the true thrills come from that first draft where I have no idea what is going to happen nor what my characters are going to do.  I create a mess for them and then see if they can get out of the mess or if the mess will bog them down.  Kind of sadistic, but hey.  That's writing.  What I am not crazy about is the re-write.  But I have to say it is the only way to ensure your story or novel will be as good as it can be.  Remember, the reader is expecting to be entertained.  That doesn't happen with shoddy second-rate work that you scribbled down one time and tossed at them.  They want the stories to crackle with action and wit.  The bottom line is a story can never be expected to be great or even that good in many cases, without being told more than once.  Think about stories written long ago.  Better yet think about stories that were not written at all, but handed down verbally from one generation to the next.  We live in a pretty cool time where most people can read, but it wasn't always like that.  So I think the best way to make sure your story is just the way you want it to be is to not only re-write, but re-tell the story.  Get a tape recorder and record yourself telling the story.  And then see if there is anything you would change.  Often times when we read something we may just skip over it even if it doesn't sound quite right.  Reading it out loud, we will definitely feel that ear-pricking sensation when our mind tells us that that last sentence or word or phrase just did not quite fit.  And of course there are other considerations.  Maybe the characters talk too much alike.  If all or most characters sound alike and look alike, you have a pretty boring cast.  You can even go into different voices when you tell the story even if you don't think you're that good at it.  The point is that you will be in that character's voice and in particular, in that character's head.  This will make your story much stronger since you will know your characters much better.  I have found this method works well for me and don't worry.  I do most of this alone.  I get embarrassed just like the next guy.  Find a quiet place and then let your characters come to life.  Re-telling a story is just as important as any other aspect of crating solid fiction.  The more it is told, the stronger it will become.  Just don't go crazy into the world of endless re-writing.  Don't change the entire plot or anything like that.  Stick with what works, toss out what doesn't and replace it.  Fill in the cement where it needs to be applied.  Either way, when it comes to your writing, repetition will make it stronger.  And hey.  We're lucky as writers.  Imagine how many times poor old Johnny Cash had to sing "Folsom Prison Blues."  Great song, but dang.  That had to get old after about the hundredth time, but you can bet your last dollar he performed it way more than a hundred times.  So just look at it this way.  as the writer there's only so many times you will have to repeat your story, but for the audience's sake and for the sake of your career, learn to love the re-write.