Mental Exhaustion

Stirling

Stirling

Okay, I have one scene left to write and I will have finished draft two (thanks to those who give me advice over the block, fifteen thousand words ago).

The problem is I feel severely exhausted, mentally.  I would be happy never to look at the damn thing again.  I will try and leave it until the end of May, before I start work again.  I need to give it a bit of a polish before I start to send it out, but I need to chill out first. 

I have character studies for my next novel to work on, but I need to get the drive back to face another 80,000 words.

What do everyone else do to relax?.  It really does feel like I've been running the same marathon for seven years!.

Tessa Tangent

Yes, I'm pretty sick of first draft and going into second.  I don't think I can offer much help, much as I'd love to.  Sorry... I know what you mean about the seven years, though.

M. Welshman

When I finished my novel, I just stepped down a few gears. Didn't stop writing. But just found other outlets. Writing comps, magazine features, short stories. Nothing too daunting.  No pressure. Doing these for a few months kept the creativity going and prompted ideas for the next book. Not so between drafts. The I was eager to get back in there and rework and rework to achieve the polished final draft.

Anna

Have yet to get that far, myself, but want to say a big well done for getting that far.  It takes guts and determination.  All power to your elbow, all of you!

Howard

Be careful not to lose the ability to relax. I'm on that slippery slope at the moment and don't know how to take my own advice.

Katy

I too also find it hard (no, impossible) to switch the old brain off, so tend to just switch it to something different to relax instead - especially learning something new, whatever it may be. When I was finishing my MS for submission at the end of January, I took up learning poker. Works for me - might work for you too (the gambling is not compulsory though, just an example...)

Stirling

Thanks.

I've just finished (plus the time to make some well deserved coffee).  I'm really chuffed because the final word count is 85,120 words.  There was a time when I was stuck on 70,000.

I remember Stephen King in his book saying that writing that last chapter feels like an anti-climax, and that is always the way that I felt.  But this time it's different, I'm on quite a high.  I'm really proud of this one.  Maybe I knew the others weren't good enough, but this one is.  This is the first time I've been able to write a good ending without being overly sentimental.  It has a pretty tense last sentence (I didn't want closed ending, so I left it open with a kind of cliffhanger).

Relax?.  I don't think I can remember how to relax.  I think my relaxation time is when I'm on here.  I bore easily, and incredibly fidgity when I'm not writing.  I have several short stories to write for competitions, character studies for the second novel and my journal article to research.  So I will get on with them.  I suppose I can get on writing that dreaded synopsis too now . . .

I will definitely try to leave the manuscript alone for at least two weeks.  I really believe in looking at it with fresh eyes.  I would love to leave it longer, but I have fast approaching deadline for the Daily Mail competition.  Normally I would just read it, but I think I will print out individual chapters and read them aloud.  She if that helps me point out mistakes I can't see.

Kangaroo

Goodluck Stirling and take it easy.

SilentTony

Yeah good luck Stirling. The thing that comes across from you about this rewrite is that you feel confident about it, that is a good thing for sure.

dorothyd

rest easy in your mind. You've done well and it will be even better.  But for now, rest easy.

Jay Mandal

Well done, and don't overdo it. Best of luck!