Embracing the Pause: How Stepping Away Boosts Creativity and Clarity

Taking a pause from revision to recharge and gain a fresh perspective.

The Power of the Pause: Why Stepping Away is the Most Important Step

It’s been a while since I've posted, and there’s a good reason for it. I'm currently on a forced—but necessary—break from my novel.

You know that feeling when you've just poured your heart out into a first draft? The moment you type "The End," all you want to do is jump back in and fix every little thing. I’ve done this through four or five revisions already, always ending up adding and changing parts of my story. I think it’s to be expected, but how do you know what you don't know as a first-time novelist? It's easy to get lost in the weeds.

That's exactly where I was. I was so close to the manuscript that I couldn't see it clearly anymore. Halfway through my fifth revision, I was feeling confident. I had a solid process—a mix of methods from several writing teachers—and I decided to start giving a point of view to a few of my characters and add new scenes. It went well for a while, until I realized this was altering my story's core.

Things got even more confusing when I wanted to develop my characters’ voices further and add a few magical elements and a little foreshadowing. Lol, you get my drift, right? I was in a creative conundrum, to say the least.

I realized that all my newfound confidence had led to what I'd call "new writer’s revision blur." So, I went back to one of my favorite writing teachers, Jessica Broady, who has a complete revision course. The trick will be to stick to the course as much as possible. Her first piece of advice? "PAUSE!" and forget your story.

This advice reminded me of a quote from Neil Gaiman:

"The best advice I can give you is: to be a writer, you have to write. And when you've written, you have to revise. And when you've revised, you have to revise some more. But most importantly, when you have done all that, you have to let it sit for a while."

I've decided to take this advice to the extreme and pause my revision for a full month. This break has a dual purpose. I have a health procedure on September 16, and I know I need to be completely clear-minded before I can dive back into my characters' world. This time away will allow me to rest and recover, both physically and creatively.

I've been using this break to do things that fill my creative well without touching my manuscript. I bought new paints and have been doing illustrations, which has been well-needed. My husband and I took two getaway trips to Newport, and I’m looking for more music venues to see our favorite bands. With many doctor's appointments, I kept everything well-organized to minimize stress. I also spent time at the beach and did a lot of little home interior and exterior projects. This summer pause has been wonderful.

It's tempting to jump back in, but I have a strong feeling that this pause will be exactly what the novel needs. Giving myself this time to heal and gain perspective will ultimately make the final story so much stronger.

What do you do when you feel too close to your work? Do you take breaks, or do you power through?