Writing a novel is thrilling. Thoughts become prose, imagination solidified into ink. After the first draft, you stress over edits. What should stay, what should go. What’s missing and what needs to not exist. By the time you finish the final draft, you’re ready to do whatever it takes to see it in the hands of readers.
But sometimes what a book needs most is to sit. And wait. And marinate.
Very counter-intuitive to our fast-paced culture that requires everything now. The concept took me aback at age 15 when my editor said to set my first book to the side and start something new. Indignation at the thought of stopping after all the work I’d put in for two to three years cooked my brain. Now 23, I find myself thankful that my editor made that call and writing a post about why you should consider letting your passion project marinate for a year or two.
Distance
While studying at SCAD, I learned in a drawing class that I needed to step away from the work periodically to look at something else. After working on other projects or reading, I’d return and see mistakes and negative space that either required erasing or more hatching. Getting some distance allowed me to better critique my personal work.
My first book, like many of my other writings, is my thought child. So much of me went into it, and I was beyond proud of what I had created. Note that I say “was.” Couple years ago, I discovered an early draft I had printed for family to read. I couldn’t get past page one; the grammar was atrocious, the action subpar. And the description. Don’t get me started!
When you’re knee-deep in your story, your senses are numb to plot holes and other issues. Everything is so fresh to your eyes that you don’t see past daisies. Setting your work aside and writing new stories allows you to momentarily forget the story. Just like stepping out of cold water and jumping in again, your senses become fresh to everything in your book. This simple practice will save you money on edits because you’ll be able to clean and polish on your own. It’ll also reveal points where you need improvements.
Experience
Somewhat recently, I posted on social media that I went from being the “Jester of Description” to the “Queen of Prose.” I wasn’t joking; my description was HORRIBLE. Not to mention my characterization flattened at certain points and the overall pacing of the book didn’t work. I didn’t recognize any of this, but my editor did.
In the years since letting my novel sit in the corner, I learned world-building in sci-fi, attended multiple critique groups and workshops, read many books, written a few fan fictions, and finished an entire book (which will be my “first book” when published). Not to mention writing this blog which required levels of research and reiterating lessons learned. Many life experiences also occured over the years as I shifted from high school to college, moved to a different state, worked retail, and explored the “wonders” of social media.
By not focusing on the exact same project for years on end, I had the opportunity to explore other interests and gain knowledge that will benefit my book. Sci-fi, Earth, work meetings, and unhappy customers have very little relation to my fantasy/medieval-ish story. But each experience developed description and characterization that I can now use in whatever medium I wish.
Mental Rewrites
My editor said I would know the right time to pick my book up. I had no clue what she meant until a couple years ago. I hadn’t thought of the story or characters in a while, focusing heavily on my current project, Foresight.
Without warning, two of the main characters danced across my vision in a completely new scene. Few weeks later, I sketched a new vision for one of the characters and detailed pieces of a new dialect that would be used for another fresh scene. Plot holes I already knew existed filled with fresh ideas. Dialogue, maps, a fresh first chapter. It’s been sporadic, so trying to find a sheet of paper or my notes app before it fades has become commonplace.
Distance and experience open the opportunity for fresh imagination. The race of thoughts takes me back to the first nights I dreamt this novel and the various scattered ideas I wanted to connect. It’s thrilling. Thoughts ready to become prose, imagination waiting for ink. Yet it’s an old story, one previously written and waiting in a folder. Old ideas can gain fresh perspective if you wait.
Final Thoughts: Story Over Instant Fame
Self-publishing has made becoming an author super easy. Throw in a couple bucks, work your social media, and viola! You’re an author in under five minutes. But the question to ask is what’s your end goal? Fame. Money. Awards.
James Thurber, a 20th-century writer and journalist, wrote “If you want to write just to make money, you’re not a writer.” Why? Because writers are all about the story, not themselves. We write because we have a theme or idea unable to remain contained. It’s honestly why I have so many works out, from my Wednesday short stories to Wattpad fan fictions. I have so many ideas that won’t become books, but I can’t contain them. I have to write.
Great works like Lord of the Rings and Frankenstein took years to develop. And they now leave legacies that are still discussed in the 21st century. Few can name the authors, but I don’t think they’d mind. They spent the extra time to craft a complete, thought-provoking story, not a good piece that went viral for an afternoon. Strive to make the story your goal, not personal fame.