3 Things to do After you Finish a Draft

Y’all know that feeling after you get to the end of a draft? That “there’s nothing after this”
kind of feeling. You have reached the end. You have completed a revision.

Now what?

Some writers dive right back in, however, sometimes it’s best to let your creative jets cool down before firing them up again. Don’t want to overheat, do you?

Here are the 3 things that I do after I finish a draft. Tried and true ways to shake up those creative engines while at the same time letting them relax.

1. Read 

Reading is a way to see how it’s done. How your favorite authors do it. How the debut authors do it. How writing and plot works in the eyes of the publishing industry – and what doesn’t work. Find new books that refuse to let you sleep, that you obsess over.

2. Research

I enjoy historical documentaries. History is full of plot twists, betrayals, secret plots, and unknowns. I find inspiration for plot twists and crazy steampunk machines from history, and character names, and connections. Go explore a time period you’ve not visited before!Go refill your creative ovens with creative fodder.

3. Labor

Healthy body healthy mind – and healthy minds work better, faster, and cleaner. Go clean out your closet or under the bed. Who knows what you might find there – old and forgotten secrets from your preteen days? dead spiders? half-finished diaries? Coming back to a cleaned, dusted, and organized computer desk gives me a fresh feeling. And there is something slightly guilt-inducing about sitting at the computer for hours at a time, so getting up and actually cleaning the bathroom gives me a much needed feeling of accomplishment.

These are three things that I find to be refreshing after drafting or revising. Writing is work, even if it doesn’t feel like it, and you need to take a break to keep yourself from breaking 🙂