The Importance of BREAKS

This seems to be a theme this week. SeeSaraWrite talked about this on her blog, inspired by Eat, Pray, Love which is so fabulous in so many ways. TAKE A BREAK ALREADY!

Also - Jade talked about this a few posts ago. The Importance of Getting Away from the Manuscript. Let It Sit.

I didn't do this. I might let my manuscripts sit for a week and then I would dive right back in. But I've let the Moon Dog sit for MONTHS now. And I'm back.

And new ideas are pouring out of me. I NEEDED that time away to get a better view of the big picture. It's important to let the manuscript sit for a month or two because of the BIG PICTURE.

I'm not talking about the little grammar errors or little changes. The line edits. Oh, no. The big changes. What your books does as a whole. For me, I could only see this once I was away from it for a long time. Maybe this works different for everyone. But for every manuscript I write from now on, I will let it sit for at least a month. The edit following that month is the most important. Never again will I query before that. It's pointless. That edit after time brings the story to a new level. That time is so, so, so important.

I knew that. But I didn't KNOW that. You know? Like Jade said -- I had to find out for myself! That time is invaluable. I never thought it would be so hard to let it alone. It's like an itch I've got to scratch. But when I have other ideas I want to work on...it gets a little easier.

That time saved the Moon Dog Inn from the fate of the Eternal Desk Drawer. Also - invaluable advice from critique partners also saved The Moon Dog Inn.

(Thanks Marsha! Beth! Jade! Shelley!)

The Moon Dog Inn is back in business, baby.

Wow. This post has a lot of various capitalization in it.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!