Resting a Key Element of Writing

If there’s one thing our frenetic, fast-paced, always-on world needs, it’s a break. God modeled a sabbath for us in Genesis 2:2; if He needed a break after creating the world, what does that say for everyone else?

This principle isn’t just a wise prescription for a weary soul; it extends to good writing and editing. I have learned that one of the best ways to improve rough drafts is to take a break.

Even if only for a short time, it’s one of the most effective ways to improve things.

Back in the days when I did more article writing than book work, one way I stayed alive was by writing a lot.

That meant living with a steady stream of deadlines. I wasn’t too wild about it, but freelancers can’t be too choosy about work. That is, unless the pay offered was so low it wasn’t worth it.

Balancing multiple projects meant I couldn’t always carve out time to write a story too far in advance; too many other deadlines to meet first. Which is why I once sat down to write a cover story for a national magazine a little over 24 hours before the deadline.

Slower Pace

Needless to say, I don’t miss that kind of pressure.

When conditions changed, and I started seeing more time between deadlines, I started spacing out my production schedules.

Ideally, I sought to finish the first draft of a story two weeks before the due date. After setting it aside for a week, I pulled it out of the pile and used Read Aloud in Word.

Having taken a break, the various flaws—missing words, redundant language, and overly wordy phrases—popped out. They were much easier to detect than with something I had to write on a one- or two-day turnaround.

I marveled at how much more clearly I could read the story after a week away. Once I made the revisions, I stuck it in the “to do” pile again for a week later.

When I retrieved it on the due date, I again did a Read Aloud and found more miscues, the need to rewrite, or to toss a few words.

Not only did I feel the quality had improved, handling the final revision on the day it was due didn’t bother me. Unlike that 24-hour rush on a 2,500-word story, a brush-up that took only 30 to 60 minutes easily fit into my daily schedule.

Taking a Break

Now that I’m doing more book editing and ghostwriting than articles, the same practice has served me well.

Given the need to keep chapter writing or editing going at a steady pace, I can’t always follow a two-week schedule to complete one. Still, I let chapters sit for anywhere from three days to a week before doing a final draft.

The final product is always better.

I know this is a sound approach because of the emails that surface from time to time in one of my freelancers’ networks.

A writer or editor will air a grievance about being “stuck” on a particular project and ask what to do about it.

Invariably, whether the reply comes from me or someone else, the answer is: “Put it away for a few days and work on something else.”

Quite often, that stirs some variation of, “Thanks for the good advice.”

Rest almost seems counterintuitive in an always-on world, but it’s part of a sensible approach to writing and editing. Just like it takes time to wax your car, it takes time to polish your editorial creations.