Time

I took three months to write the first draft of my current project, then I did something crazy:

I took two months off.

I read a book, worked on my hobbies, caught up on errands. I did lots of non-writing activities.

Because time is an essential component in writing.

Time to let the story simmer, time to get to know the characters better, time to gain more perspective, time to recharge.

As a writer, it’s easy to get too close to the story. It’s easy to skip over simple typos because the words are too familiar, or to be completely oblivious to the fact that actually, yes, that bit of dialogue really is unbelievably corny. Time gives distance to better see what your readers will be seeing.

But time can also be a dangerous thing, and too much time can result in a story that’s never finished. Writers need to learn how to manage it to utilize it properly.

Time is important.