Rewriting Is Where Most Writing Actually Happens
To rewrite is to write again in a different form. Writers generally agree that the first draft is only the beginning.
To rewrite is to write something again, usually better. It is not a failure but the method: professional writers routinely describe the first draft as raw material and the rewrite as the real work. The phrase *rewrite history* is the exception, and it is always an accusation.
- To write again differently. *Rewrite the opening.*
- A rewritten version. *A full rewrite.*
- Rewrite history — misrepresent the past. *An attempt to rewrite history.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | rewrite | Rewrite the chapter. |
| Past | rewrote | She rewrote it twice. |
| Participle | rewritten | Completely rewritten. |
| Noun | rewrite | A page-one rewrite. |
| Related | redraft | A second redraft. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The script went through four rewrites.Countable.
- He rewrote the ending overnight.Past tense: rewrote.
- That is rewriting history.An accusation of distortion.
Stages of drafting
- First draft — get it down
- Structural edit — decide what belongs where
- Rewrite — write it again with that structure
- Line edit — improve sentence by sentence
- Proofread — catch the errors that survived
A compound of *re-* and *write*, from Old English *writan*, which originally meant to scratch or carve — the marks were cut into wood or stone before ink.
Rewrote or rewrited?
Rewrote and rewritten. It follows write, wrote, written exactly.
Rewrite or edit?
Editing changes an existing text. Rewriting starts the passage again, often with the original in front of you.