Having put together some of the accumulated elements of my main scheme a couple of months ago I have been slaving away editing and revising. Predictably this got to be harder and harder and slower and slower: until I ground to a halt.
A few days doing other things and barely looking at the looming creation seem to have been enough though. Yesterday a couple of changes in technique suggested how one section could be revised in a way that would unblock the process for a few pages. Then this morning (without having started on that amendment) another idea resolved two more problems.
Wonderful! (Apologies to anyone who has been suffering recently).
The solutions are very specific to the work - but - I think that the important thing, my own advice that I needed to heed, was to let the whole thing rest for a day or three.
Has anyone else found this? Does anyone have similar "tricks" that they find help them?
David
I suggest getting as much feedback on as much of your work as possible because, as I have experienced with my own book project, as long as people giving you the feedback are analytical when they do so, your work gets better and better. Also, I have decided to save up for one of the bespoke mentoring programmes on offer from Writers & Artists; however, what may be right for me and my book may not be right for you and yours. In short, I suggest you always trust your own mind, heart and instincts, whether or not you also seek outside assistance.
Editing is a long, unenjoyable, exhausting struggle.
I use a checklist of things to edit.
My tip is to take a break every two hours. It is surprising how a short break freshens the mind.