Why You Should Let Your Novel Rest

Letting your novel rest sounds easy, doesn't it?  But for me, it has been an exercise in self-restraint, especially because I long to see my book published.  Letting my novel rest is only going to push back that goal.  This being said, it's been over one month since I stepped away from my story and sent it out to beta readers.

At first, I was elated because I had finally--after three years of writing, rewriting, editing, and getting feedback for the first dozen chapters--reached the point where I felt that my novel was "complete" and ready to move on to the next phase.  The instant I hit the "send" button on that email to my beta readers, I felt, for the first time, truly accomplished.  It was an amazing feeling and I recommend every writer celebrate that moment, because the thrill of excitement at having finished my first novel (a meaty 115K words) is something I will never forget.

The Breakdown

Two Weeks In:  

Avoiding my novel for the first two weeks was easy peasy, because I could now turn my attention to other projects without feeling like I was taking time away from writing.

Third Week:

How Do You Prepare Your Coffee?

This comic is an actual conversation between my husband and I.  Apparently, when I drink too much coffee, I have a tendency to bounce around the apartment!  My husband is a huge coffee drinker as well, but, unlike me, he has gotten to the point where he sometimes needs a cup of coffee to fall asleep.  I aim to never reach this level.  Sorry hub.

The Language of Music

When I was growing up, getting ahold of music from artists not popular or well-known in the United States was difficult.  My mother was never very strict with the kind of music I listened to, so she was never the limiting factor.  Because of her leniency in my musical taste, people have commented to me that had my mother understood English, she would have never allowed me to listen to that kind of music, mainly industrial and metal.

100% Pure and Wholesome.  Honest!

I don't deny that there was probably some truth to these comments, but my mom was not blind, and she was very much aware of the image of the bands I listened to, especially since I had the habit of sharing my music with her.  Nothing excited me more than being able to hunt down an album I had been trying to get my hands on and then show it to her.  There were definitely some bands she did not approve of (Marilyn Manson, no?), but the ones I cared for the most she had no objection to.  She was amazing.

Never Ignore A Cat

My cat, Kanoqui the Conqueror.  I call him this because I am pretty sure he believes he is the ruler of all.  By virtue of being a cat, he automatically wins in life.