Here's the scenario: you've worked on your manuscript for months and months, and have finally finished it. You lean back, both exhausted and relieved. You may even be a little apprehensive and scared. It's your baby. It's not quite ready for the world, in your mind. How long do you wait before tackling any rewrites/edits?
Stephen King has advised to put your manuscript away for a minimum of six weeks before looking at it again. Dean Wesley Smith doesn't rewrite at all (he has a circular writing technique that is very clever and I want to give a shot at on future projects). In fact, Smith doesn't even look at the manuscript again unless his wife Kris tells him to fix a few things.
Where do you fit in?
Brandon Sanderson, between his enormous epic fantasy novels, writes shorter books. I think I read once that Stephen King does the same thing with his novels, but don't quote me on that.
What does taking a break look like to you? In the past, I've read much more than usual. It's something I call "recharging my batteries," because I feel like I haven't read as much as I should (which is probably not the case) and I love reading new things.
I'm working on the edits for books 2 and 3 of the Shadowkill trilogy. It's going well, much better than I anticipated. And, of course, I'm looking to see what I should work on next.
Stay tuned . . . the future is very exciting . . .
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