Reading My Own Stuff

~ beetleypete

Yesterday, I sent some links to a blogger who wanted to read more of my complete serials in one post. After doing that, I read two of them again, which took a long time.

Do you ever re-read your own blog posts, or fiction you have posted? It is not something I have done that much of, other than in the initial editing or proof-reading stage. There is so much available on other blogs for me to read, why read what I have already written?

Spending time doing just that proved to be very rewarding. Not only did I see how my writing has started to improve over time, I also realised that most of the fiction I write has an identifiable ‘style’.

More interestingly, I actually enjoyed reading a 30,000 word story as if it was fresh to me, seeing it from the perspective of a reader, not a writer.

In all honesty, and with little or no humility, I really enjoyed both of those all over again, and I intend to go back further, and re-read more of my long stories as complete posts.

I recommend that any of you posting fiction do the same thing. You might find it as rewarding as I did.

65 thoughts on “Reading My Own Stuff”

  1. Lately I’ve found myself rediscovering, and subsequently rereading, old stories I had abandoned because I thought they weren’t very good. Only to discover that they aren’t half bad and actually kind of enjoyable to read. I think it’s a good thing to remind yourself of when you’re stuck with writers block, or in a negative writing space where you think your work isn’t very good.

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    1. Thanks for your thoughts, Angela. I agree that a lot of the old stuff is better than I thought, but it would need some tweaking to get up to standard now.
      Best wishes, Pete. 🙂

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  3. Hi Pete! There is an on-line magazine the syndicates my old posts, so twice a week I read a post from at least a year ago, I’m always surprised by the thoughts and insights, as if written by someone else. I also see areas of improvement. Thanks for sharing your thoughts in this. Much appreciated.

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  4. I wait for a number of months and then have the posts printed and bound by a French company. This gives me paperback books(just one at a time) that I am preparing for my grandkids. When I receive them I read them through. I am amazed at times that I remembered something enough to write about it and have now forgotten. I also have begun to recognize the shape of my posts which is quite satisfying. That structure seems to have developed over time into a fairly recognizable style. My vocabulary has also expanded. The more I write the more words I remember to use.

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  5. I do that sometimes-not often, and I get what you are saying-I see my flowery style showing up and sometimes laugh aloud at it! Now you-have a style, for sure-but I hope you feel the suspense as we do for you are a master at that-and the bang of the conclusion too! Besides your series you are an authentic writer and can make anything interesting=your friend Michele x

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  9. From time to time, I find a reader has checked the like button on one or more of my old posts. I routinely go back to see what I wrote that the reader found interesting enough to hit the like button. I do read the old post and find I am always embarrassed by one (OK, several or many) of my many spelling, punctuation or grammatical mistake. But I leave them as they are and make a note to watch for them in the future. Since I almost always post images (except when we have spates of Mother Nature refusing to leave photographs strewn about he landscape), I also look at the images and have a list of images I need to go back and redo. But, I do not replace the one that I originally posted. What does amaze me is that a reader checks the like button on a post that is in the middle of one of my long sci-fi fiction pieces. While when I read that blog it makes sense, but I can not imagine it makes sense to someone who has not read what came before it. Since I also go to see what the reader has blogged (if anything) I am not surprised that some fo the likes on the isolated fiction pieces are from people who are selling something on their blog but not all are selling things. Those not selling things who check like on a blog in the middle of a serial do confound explanation. Warmest regards, Theo

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  10. I enjoy rereading old work. It’s a kind of self reflection akin to looking back and seeing the mountains you just crossed – for better or worse – and nodding in wonderment… Or embarrassment!

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  12. I read my own stuff constantly. Some blog posts I know almost by heart – and I often tweak the ones that get read and re-read by others a lot, too. As for my novels – yes, I do that a fair bit, too. It helps me not to repeat characters, for one thing – but I genuinely enjoy reading them. The other day I was reading a book for review that was dragging a bit; I was tired, so I opened up my recent book Hope, instead. I really enjoyed it!

    I tend not to read the books that I wrote more than 3 years ago, though, because, like you and everyone else, probably, I have improved in those years, and I want to re-write too much of them!!!

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  14. As someone who has spent much of her work life writing and editing news articles, public relations pieces, and lengthy business reports, I’ve learned that almost any piece of writing can be improved. I didn’t always have the luxury of lingering over a draft, but with blogging I do, so I really take my time. And yes, I do go back to re-read not just the blog posts, but other pieces as well. Sometimes the exercise produces ideas, sometimes I see ways in which I could have improved the text, sometimes it makes me reflective, and sometimes it’s just fun. So, what everyone else said… LOL

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  15. I find letting time go by and then rereading work seems like somebody else wrote it. I find myself at times saying, “Oh, that was good.” or I get annoyed when I find a grammatical mistake. I’m glad you enjoy your own writing. Otherwise, what’s the point?

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  16. I often end up back-reading my old posts – usually when someone likes/comments on one not recently written, and so, I look back to it to see, “Do I still feel the same way” or “what has changed since I posted that?” and I end up just following my own blog referral links – – rather like re-reading one’s journal, for my blog/life – Sometimes I fix typos – othertimes, I leave them in – for that was me, then, right? But I still am amazed when I find my own musings readable – or enjoyable – or they remind me of a time in life that was worse/better than now – so yes, I often re-read my own things – sometimes they crack me up – sometimes they remind me of that which I had forgotten – sometimes they buck me up and sometimes, they make me cringe – alas – any writer, who edits, ever, re-reads their own work – hopefully, with some enjoyment of the process, along the way – – 🙂

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    1. I often cringe at my first attempts at blogging. Then when I read my fiction, I am aware that I could have paced the early work so much better. I am pleased to hear that you also get some satisfaction from reading your own posts, as I was beginning to be concerned that I sounded very vain. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. I was glad to read your post, as, I have, over the years, commented or blogged about the fact, I may be a narcissist at heart, as I can find enjoyment in reading back through my own work! – Alas, whether it is a coping/justification and/or ‘well, okay then, I can entertain meself, thank you” options, I do not claim to know – but I have, increasingly, wondered, if folks who spew stuff on the internet ad nauseaum, were, under pain of death, obligation to go back and read what they have written, well, I increasingly wonder how many folks would ‘hit the publish button’ as often – :). So it was, for me at least, nice to hear someone else can re-read their own stuff and not be bored, mortified, disgusted – what evs – :). I guess it will remain to be seen whether this trend takes off, or not, “Why yes! when I publish a piece, I know within 6 months to a year, while I may have changed, gotten better at writing/editing, etc., I can still read my previous stuff without wishing I were anywhere but where I’m at – reading….” – – LOL

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  17. I’m pleased to know I’m not the only one, Pete. Usually, I find my stories more interesting than I remembered, and the same happens when I reread some stories I have read before by other bloggers. It’s even weirder when I get to check audiobook narrations of my own books. At times I’m so engrossed I want to know what happens next, even if I’ve written it myself. Great advice. (I also prefer to read full stories, though, as it makes it easier to see how it all fits together).

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  18. I always see notifications of your posts and see you have posted many stories since I left. I am dying to read them Pete and I miss your blog and teasing you was the best thing on earth. I wish these 2 months get over soon. How are you doing btw?? Is everything good?? I miss you a lot. Have you forgotten me???

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    1. Of course I haven’t forgotten you, dear Suzan. I knew you were very busy with studies. I doubt you will ever get time to catch up on everything you have missed though. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete. x

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  19. I’m in the process of re-reading a story I wrote last year, with a view to publishing bite-sized instalments on my blog. It needs work, but I’ve found it better than I remember it.
    I suspect I ought to be putting more of my stories away for a while before revisiting them. I’m having reservations now about including two which I’d recently written in the collection I self-published last month. 😦

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    1. Thanks for your thoughts, Cathy.
      With my daily serials, I don’t really have time for too much reflection, though I do re-read each part around four times before publishing each one.
      (By the way, you feature very briefly in my latest one. All the characters are named after bloggers)

      Home About Six: Part Five


      Best wishes, Pete.

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  20. I have re-read things put away to incubate. When reading them again, I can scarcely remember writing them. It is rewarding that you see improvement in your work. Not all writers can say that.

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  21. I do re-read my Universe blog posts now and then, especially if linking to a new one. Am usually happy with them 🙂

    (BTW am I off your notifications list again? I posted yesterday morning and it’s fine if you ignored it as it wasn’t a great post, but I know it’s not like you to miss a Bambrough one 😀 Think this happened before a while ago.)

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  22. I have to admit that I often re-read my stuff. I’m tempted to say it’s because one must always have something sensational to read on one’s laptop but mainly it’s because it reminds me of what I’ve been doing and thinking. I’ve kept a diary for the last 30 years and before I had the blog I used to re-read that for similar reasons. But I guess it depends why you blog in the first place and for me that’s a question with many answers.

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  23. I read somewhere a while back, that to professionally edit your own work – you should set the first draft aside for at least 6 weeks. Then, re-read it as though someone else wrote it.

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    1. I think that’s a good idea for most forms of writing but if you did that with a blog you’d never get anything published. Blogs are generally ‘of the moment’ and need to be published quickly – having said which, they should also be properly edited. But I hardly ever leave a post on one side for longer than a day or two

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              1. Thanks, Sarada. I agree that blogging is somewhat different, and as far as fiction goes, I don’t really have time to write enough to allow for any six-week delay, especially where serials are concerned.
                Best wishes, Pete.

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