Monday, September 13, 2010

You're Finished! Maybe. What Now?

So you've finished your latest revision.

It took time, a lot of brainstorming, some back-and-forth emails with trusted friends and advisers, some sleepless nights, a couple long bike rides or walks, a dash of angst, some cutting and pasting and reconfiguring from old drafts, some creating of brand-spanking-new scenes, and a print-out and a red pen.

You got some more notes and updated accordingly. You finessed some awkward phrases and rewrote descriptions and metaphors. You printed it out again for a quick scan, and at long last you emailed a copy to your agent, your editor, or your critique group.

What do you do next?

A) Immediately start a new project
B) Take time off
C) Read a book or 20 to inspire you before jumping back in to writing

I'm torn between all three, leaning toward C.

Anyone else in the same boat? What did you decide?

6 comments:

  1. I do a mix of B and C. I consider reading a book to be time off. :)

    Cool post - glad to know I'm not in the same boat.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Miranda! Certain books are definitely "time off" for me too, and then others fall more in line with research. A combo is definitely a good plan :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. ...this advice coming from revision hell...take a week off.
    For me anyway, a finished revision only means...more revisions forthcoming.
    I'm on round three, a beta reader discovered some errors that both my editor and I overlooked. (shameful) And so, back to the drawing board:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Revisions never truly end, do they, Elliot? Good luck with Round 3!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Reading is always a good idea and a great break. Right now I'm in the nail biting, wondering-what's-going-to-happen-next phase. I'm trying to keep my mind occupied by working on new stuff. (Until the next round of revisions.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I know what you mean, Jennifer! Distractions in the form of new projects are definitely good, and often the only way to stay sane. Fingers crossed for you :)

    ReplyDelete