I find that taking a break from a finished manuscript is always a positive thing for me. Because when I go back to it, even if it’s not great, I like working through revising it. I get caught up in the characters again and I am reminded that… I’m not terrible at this!
Sure, there are those cringe worthy passages or ridiculous typos. There’s the realization the the conflict is too muddled or the main character hasn’t gone deep enough into their issues, but with a break? All of those challenges seem… surpassable. If I try to delve into it right after I’ve finished, I just feel beaten down by it.
I’m working on revising my SYTYCW entry. It’s finished, but not quite at word count and the conflict needs some tweaking. I wrote the first version back in September. I revised it in November, and now in January I’m really working on making the final changes to it.
The every other month approach has really worked for me for this novel.
On the flip side, too much break can be bad. I need to work on the courage to take another look at my Revise&Resubmit submission so if I do get a request for a full, it’s ready right away. But, since I haven’t looked at it since September, I’m scared I’m going to open it up and HATE it.
Finding a happy medium; it’s what life is all about.
Nicole Helm 