When You Need to Get Away

If you’re in the self-editing and redrafting part of your writing process, I’m sure you’ll have heard the oft-repeated advice: let it rest for a while. Take a break from the manuscript completely. Come back later and try again.

And there’s a reason this advice is so universally promoted–your brain needs to reset. 

We all tend to have particular habits as we self-edit, whether that’s perfecting the first few chapters over and over or getting too attached to the beautiful prose (when maybe the scene isn’t necessary after all). But to be able to edit EFFECTIVELY, you’ll need to approach the text in a fresh, more holistic way. Instead of focusing on the individual trees 🌲 (playing with the words on the page), you need to be able to step back and see the forest 🌲🌲🌲 (plot, character arc, structure).

💡Writers have different ways of getting this break they need from the work. You can focus on breaking away from the screen and doing things with your body. Go for walks in a new place. Clean out your closet. Play with the kids or the pet.

💡Read that novel everyone’s been recommending. Let it inspire your creativity to blossom again. Or read a non-fiction book if you don’t typically. Be in a completely different headspace. Learn something new.

💡Some people find out what they really think or how they feel by verbally processing. Find a friend that you can talk to, in person or virtually. Talk about the obstacles you’re encountering or why you’ve fallen in love with one of your characters and see if it helps you figure some stuff out.