Letting a Rough Draft Cool

When I finish a rough draft, I always put it back and let it sit for a while before I pick it up to do my first edit. In the meantime, I usually write a new story. By letting the first manuscript cool like this, I can see it with fresh eyes, the changes I need to make become clear, and they jump out at me. Depending on the circumstances, it can be a long time until I get back to it. Sometimes, I'm even amazed that I wrote this story, and I find it more appealing than I remembered. It pulls me in all over again.

I know that other writers do this too. Stephen King wrote that it's what he did in his book about the craft, On Writing. I'm sure many other writers do also. I may leave it cooling longer than most writers do, but it works for me. I can find mistakes and where revisions are needed easier if what I originally wrote is not so fresh in my mind. 

I usually self-edit at least three times before I send a manuscript to a professional editor. However, I may only let it sit for one long period. Once I start editing, I may or may not do all three of my edits then. It depends on when the book needs to be finished and what else I have going on at the time. However, I would never let my edits be the only ones. I just can't catch all of my own careless errors, no matter what methods I use. To me, an editor is essential.

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