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Down the Bumpy Road of Writing:

                Let It Turn Cold

Writing is a lot like Jell-o. Though it is simple to make, there’s a lot of time involved before the finished product is ready for others to consume.

When a written story begins, ideas are poured onto the page. Words are written, taken out, added, edited, rearranged, even mixed up until the completion of the story (the last page). Then like Jell-o, the manuscript (MS) needs to turn cold—to congeal. After it has completely turned cold, it is then pulled out and looked at again. This last process you may want to do a couple of times before it’s ready for submission to a publisher or agent.

When I have completed something I’ve written, I let it turn cold. I allow time to elapse—a day or two, or maybe a week or month (the longer the better), before I revisit my work. By stepping back from my writing, I am more readily able to approach it with a fresh eye and clear mind for detail.

There has never been a time that if I practiced the concept of let it turn cold, that I haven’t found blatant errors or better ways to rewrite some of the material, even in this article.

So when you write, let it turn cold. You may find that leaving your project for while, stepping back from it, not only helps but will in most instances improve the writing you have invested precious time in, making it the best your writing can be.

              Janice

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Janice Olson©   www.JaniceOlson.com