Revising the title: Awaiting Action on Your Miniature Novel: The Resting Period
Every writer knows that completing a novel is a significant achievement, but the revision process can often feel daunting. However, taking a break from your novel and engaging in activities that nurture creativity, organization, and mental freshness can be beneficial. In this article, we'll explore several productive ways to spend your time during the revision process, as suggested by writer Kelsie Engen.
Fresh Insights and Avoiding Burnout
One of the most important aspects of the revision process is gaining distance from your novel and letting it rest. This allows fresh insights to emerge and helps avoid burnout. Taking breaks and resting is crucial during this period, giving your mind the chance to recharge and your subconscious the opportunity to work on your novel.
Widening Your Perspective
Reading widely, whether fiction or self-development books, can help gain perspective and inspire new ideas. Engaging your trusted peers for feedback by sharing early drafts or ideas can also provide constructive critiques while you rest your own judgment.
Journaling and Gratitude Writing
Journaling or gratitude writing can help maintain the writing habit during breaks from a primary project. This practice allows you to process thoughts and fuel creativity without pressure. Listening to music or guided meditation can also calm your mind and enhance focus later on.
Light Physical Activities
Light physical activities such as stretching or yoga can refresh your body and mind, preparing you for effective revision. Reviewing or creating revision checklists can help organize the revision process into manageable focused passes.
Planning and Outlining Future Writing Projects
Planning or outlining future writing projects or sections can provide rest for each project. Giving your rough draft a rest to return with fresh eyes later is also beneficial, and if stuck, using notes or placeholders rather than overediting prematurely can help maintain the forward momentum of your writing.
Maintaining a Writing Habit
It's important to maintain a writing habit even when a novel is resting. Many writers maintain a writing habit, writing every day or frequently. Writers need to read extensively, including blogs, writing books, and fiction in and outside of their genre, to continue growing and improving their craft.
Conclusion
Taking a break from a novel can help a writer appreciate it and recognize its strengths and weaknesses. It's okay to take a break from a novel and "cheat" on it, as long as one returns to it eventually. Working on multiple projects and rotating through them can provide rest for each project, with 1-2 months of rest from every project. Manuscripts require rest, whether sent to beta readers or editors, and writers should continue working on new projects to maintain forward momentum.
Kelsie Engen, the author of this post, loves reading and runs a blog to share her passion for books with others. She emphasizes the importance of taking care of oneself during breaks, avoiding filling the mind and body with junk food, and remembering that the moral of the story is that taking a break from a novel can be beneficial, as it allows for a clearer perspective and can help the subconscious work on the novel.
One way to spend time during the revision process, as suggested by writer Kelsie Engen, is to share early drafts or ideas with trusted peers, who can provide constructive critiques and help widen your perspective. Another method is to engage in light physical activities, such as stretching or yoga, to refresh your body and mind, preparing you for effective revision and maintaining a writing habit even when a novel is resting.
