Make the Most of Your Manuscript’s Resting Time

If you’re participating in ProWriting Aid’s Novel November, Reedsy’s Novel Sprint, NaNo 2.0 (not the original NaNo) or another writing challenge this November, you’ll soon be finished drafting. And if you’re like most writers, you’ll immediately start thinking about how to revise your manuscript. But I’ve got some advice for you: DON’T.

At least, not yet.

After the hard work you’ve put in, the best thing you can do for your story is to set it aside. Give it some Drawer Time, as we old-timers say.

Letting a manuscript rest for a month or so will give you some much needed distance. When you’ve lived inside a story for weeks or months, it’s hard to see what needs trimming, what’s unclear, or which scenes need a makeover. Once you’ve stepped away for a while, you’ll regain objectivity, and those things will become more obvious.

So resting time is essential, but implementing it is hard because we don’t want to lose momentum. And what will we do with ourselves in the meantime?

This pause between drafting and revising is actually a great time to refill the creative well and strengthen your toolkit. Here are 8 ways to make the most of this crucial stage in the writing process.

Jot Down Ideas for What Needs Work

While your first draft is fresh in your mind, start a working list of any issues you suspect need attention—plot holes, character issues, scenes that feel off, possible inconsistencies, etc. Don’t try to fix them right now. Just start the list, which will accomplish two things:

• It makes things easier when it’s time to revise because you’ve already identified problems to address.
• Keeping a list takes the pressure off because those revision ideas are being recorded; they won’t be forgotten, so your brain can move on to other things.

Reward Yourself

Holy buckets, you wrote a novel! This is an amazing achievement that many people dream of but few actually accomplish. So treat yourself. It doesn’t have to be anything big or expensive: order in and binge that show you’ve been wanting to watch, buy the shoes you’ve been eyeing, take a day off—do something to mark this moment, because it’s a huge deal.

Work on Another Writing Project

Since your manuscript is off-limits, shift focus to a different project. Explore a shiny new idea, flesh out a character you’ve been thinking about, do some worldbuilding. Do something you’ve never done before, like writing a short story or experimenting with a new genre or voice.

Most writers have loads of story and character ideas on the back burner. Pick one that excites you and start exploring.

Pursue a Different Creative Outlet

Whether it took a month or a year to get the words down, finishing a first draft can be exhausting. If you’re feeling burned out, like you just can’t with a new story right now, take a vacation and do something different.

Give your brain a rest and mix things up with some drawing, baking, photography, dancing, playing a musical instrument, or whatever interests you. Let your mind wander and just play. Changing your focus while still staying creative can reset your brain and refill your well. Then, when it’s time to get back to writing, you’ll feel energized and refreshed.

Read…Maybe Strategically

Reading for pleasure is a great way to relax and reset. And now is a good time to do it because while you’re chilling out with a good book, your brain is still taking in techniques and style choices—the ones that work and those that don’t. Two birds, one stone.

If you’d like your reading to be more focused, choose books in your genre to see how other authors handle pacing, dialogue, or tension. Notice what keeps you turning the pages, what makes a character memorable.

Or re-read a book that’s inspiring in some way. Maybe it’s how the author wove theme into the story, or setting descriptions that made you feel like you were right there. Make notes about techniques you might be able to use in your own writing.

Study an Aspect of Craft That Needs Strengthening

Every writer has strengths and weaknesses. What storytelling aspect do you struggle with? Maybe your protagonists tend toward melodrama and don’t feel emotionally authentic. Or you’re fuzzy on character arc.

Whatever needs work, read a book, sign up for a webinar, or listen to podcast episodes that explore the topic. (On our home page, you can find resource pages dedicated to many areas of storytelling.) Target that area and focus on it for a few weeks. Then when you return to your manuscript you’ll be better equipped to revise it.

Prep for Publishing

You’re a ways off from being ready to publish your book, but if this is your end goal, now’s a good time to start researching next steps. Whether you’re considering traditional or self-publishing, there are a lot of things you can look into during your manuscript’s rest period:

• Research the literary agents who represent your genre and see which ones are a good fit
• Draft a template query letter to send to agents and editors
• Explore ideas for how to market your book
• Make a short list of proofreaders, editors, cover designers, formatters, or other professionals you’ll need to hire

Join a Critique Group or Find a Critique Partner

Part of the revision process will involve letting others read and offer feedback on your story. So if you don’t yet have a critique group or partner, line them up now. There are lots of places to find critiquers, but Angela’s and my favorite is Critique Circle. This is where we met over 20 years ago. It’s free, online, and has an outstanding track record for connecting writers.

Once Drawer Time is finished, you can turn your attention to revision. But don’t freak out…The One Stop for Writers Revision Roadmap simplifies this process by organizing it into manageable rounds. We also have a wide array of helpful resources on our Revision and Editing page. So between those two, we’ve got you covered!

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Summary for Busy Writers: Resting your manuscript after finishing a first draft is an essential part of the writing process, providing the distance needed to see your story more clearly so you can identify what needs work. Any of the activities mentioned here will keep that wait time productive and help you return to your manuscript with clarity, energy, and a plan for getting it across the finish line.

The post Make the Most of Your Manuscript’s Resting Time appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

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