Well, sorta. I've been keeping myself busy with some 'before winter sets in' outdoor projects. There's so much to catch up on! It was such a hot summer, I didn't get much done outside. I prefer much cooler weather.
I'm looking at my MS with a fresh perspective. OUCH! Yeah, much work ahead. I'm still loving it, but seeing a lot of telling that has to change to showing. In both my first and second chapter there is a lot of back-story that needs minimized. I can't avoid it, but I've gotta find a way to squeeze it into a smaller space. The good news is that I don't have to do it now. I've just gotta get back to writing!
I've not touched it in months. I've just now started to reread it from the beginning. I'm glad I took a long break from it. There was a lot going on in my life that needed more attention. Now that I'm back to it, I have to learn to pace myself and allow for the other things. And the fresh perspective really is paying off. I've learned a lot from the craft books I've been reading. (Currently: The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass) I really need to develop my other characters more... and I have an idea for a side story.
The weather is nice right now, so I don't plan on writing much for the next couple of weeks. After that though, LOOK OUT!
Have you ever taken such a long break from a project? Did it help or hurt?
