Getting back to rewriting

I left on some tangents back there, as is my wont, but don't despair, dear readers. I said I would write about rewriting, and intend to do just that.
First off, I am constantly rewriting. If I write a quick draft of a chapter or of a story, I comb through it many times before deeming it "finished." Of course, it's never finished, because, other than "The Great Gatsby," any piece of writing can be improved. But again, I digress. Before you can genuinely embark on a rewrite, you have to finish, because only then do you know the shape of your story, or your chapter, or your novel. When I'm nearing the end of a story, I invariably look to the beginning to figure out how to complete the story. Why? Because when you began the story, you implanted in the reader some questions. You made him or her curious. Throughout the story, you kept them curious. Otherwise, they wouldn't have bothered to read the book.
Finally, at the end, you have to answer the big question: what was this book about? What over-arching lesson did the character--and presumably the reader--learn? That, as I said in an earlier post, constitutes in my never-to-be-humble opinion, the theme. If you didn't implant a question pertaining to the theme in the beginning--because, for example, you devoted all your time to writing a clever opening sentence that got the plot going--then it's time to examine the beginning and see how you can implant that thematic question, too. Odds are, it's already there, and it's more a matter of refining it than inventing it. But you never know.
Once I have identified my over-arching question, and my theme, I go through the manuscript and strengthen it, perhaps moving components around, so that the revelation of the theme is as fresh to the reader as it is to the characters.
But rewriting, of course, is also about sharpening the characters.
In Secret Spy, Terrence Tillberry is an FBI agent who falls in love with a KGB agent in 1982 Los Angeles. He's based on a real guy, as I may have said, who was described by one detractor as "lunchy," because he--and this is true--always ate a lunch of pastries, etc., acquired from the local 7-11.
I expanded dramatically on this trait. Terrence Tillberry eats nothing but Hostess products: Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho-Hos and the like.
In that the FBI is a pretty selective organization, I had to justify why a guy with such little will power ever got hired. Nepotism seemed like a good idea, so I invented Terrence's Uncle Martin, who was an FBI agent, and put in a good word for Terrence.
In the rewrite, I took it deeper. Uncle Martin took Terrence under his wing when Terrence was a child. He was overweight, and afraid of being teased. Terrence confided in his uncle, who bought him a set of weights, and generously guided him in losing weight, and gaining confidence. The nepotism also brought a flavor to the book: Terrence was resented by his boss as a result of it.
I won't go into all the specifics of the story--I want you to buy the book when it's published--but the way this "character arc" (to employ a hackneyed term) evolved was fascinating to me. When I began the book, all I knew was that Terrence was fat, and slovenly. I used that as his identifier, and ultimately it expanded to really define and humanize him. He became a real and sympathetic character, who was neglected by his harsh father, and was teased. His kind Uncle Martin consoled and encouraged him, and inspired him to join the FBI. When he is "bullied" by his boss, due to the perceived nepotism, he reverts to his former self, seeking comfort in food.
First off, I never would have arrived at any of the revelations about Terrence's motivations and history had I not completed the story. Secondly, now that I know them, the understanding make every element of the story richer.
And it's still a comedy, folks, so don't think I've gone all mushy. Trust me, there are laughs aplenty. But I have to finish the rewrite before the public can really enjoy them.