Definitely! I always keep a file of my cut material. Some of it does get permanently deleted, but a lot of it gets used at some point, somewhere. My novels always tend to end up as very different stories than when they began. So that cut material is, like you said, often used in other books. It’s fun to start a new project and already have a huge start with cut material from something else

[Reply]

By Michelle on 07.30.09 10:02 am | Permalink

I started a new book because I had a group of character that just didn’t work for another. They didn’t advance the story along in the first book, but I liked the characters, so they get a novel of their own.

Yep, some’s a treasure!

[Reply]

By Sarah on 07.30.09 10:07 am | Permalink

I cut paragraphs and chapters all the time and stow them away in separate files for later use! It’s like putting left-overs in the fridge and eating them later Instant word count!

[Reply]

By Amanda Bonilla on 07.30.09 10:40 am | Permalink

I’m with everybody else on this. In the folder in Microsoft Word where I save the documents, I always have a document titled “omitted sections”. I’ve been known to delve through those from time to time when working on a new project. : )

S

[Reply]

By Scott on 07.30.09 3:17 pm | Permalink

I’m dealing with this right now – so perfect timing for me! There’s a section that works its way through out my novel, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s necessary, if I need it. Unfortunately – it begins at the very start of my book, so cutting it is hard.

But I LOVE the idea of keeping a separate folder for ‘deleted’ sections – what a fantastic idea!

[Reply]

By Steena on 07.30.09 3:53 pm | Permalink

I date save, so I always have whatever I wrote on any given day. Yes, I have lots of files, but I’ve found many a gem in those files. Things I use in later chapters, or great sentences that don’t quite fit in that story, but are perfect for another one.

Great post!!

[Reply]

By Eden on 07.31.09 1:05 pm | Permalink

Oh, and I also have a ‘deleted scenes’ folder, like Scott, along with a ‘great sentences to use elsewhere’ folder.
HelpfulHelpful!!

[Reply]

By Eden on 07.31.09 1:08 pm | Permalink

I date save mine too. If they’re big changes, not just nitpicks.
But a great sentence folder. I’m gonna have to do one of those. Or great scenes. I like that idea!

[Reply]

By Sarah on 07.31.09 1:11 pm | Permalink

I do have a “deleted scenes” file, but a lot of what I end up cutting is actually unnecessary. One of my favorite writing professors stressed the removal of words that don’t move the sentence – and the story – forward. In a first draft, I’ll typically have a lot of fluff, so part of my editing is just going through to remove a lot of adverbs and half the uses of “rather.”

[Reply]

By Anica Lewis on 07.31.09 6:03 pm | Permalink