Don't Throw Out Your Edits! Reuse them!

If you’ve ever written a novel, you inevitably end up cutting a chapter or two that doesn’t hasten along the plot. Sometimes you really like them and hate getting rid of them, but it’s best for your work as a whole. Instead of discarding them, keep a separate folder with deleted chapters. When you’ve hit writer’s block, pull them out and rework them as a standalone short story. You’ll have to do a bit of editing, as short stories move along quicker, but you can then submit them to magazines or post them on your website for fans of your book who can’t get enough of your characters.

Sometimes you have ideas for your novel that never even make it into the book because of time constraints. These make great standalone stories as well. Once again, submit them to magazines or put them on your website for your readers. It’s always nice to find more than just a bio and list of works on a writer’s website.