The power of the unconscious

I set my novel aside last week, and miracle of miracles, I haven't acknowledged the urge to read it, re-read it, revise it, edit it, etc.

It used to be barely a day went by where I didn't look at my own work. I even memorize lines and passages in the book--I hear my characters' voices in dialogue. This is bad? Well, no. But the problem is if I'm caught up in the text all the time, then it gets difficult to distinguish what is working and what isn't. I read somewhere that it is wise to let a completed draft of a novel "sit" at least two weeks...or more...before beginning the revision process. So it's about time I let my guys (meaning my characters, who still live and breath inside me) rest. It's hard to resist though. I feel like they're up to something...and I want to find out what it is!

Do I sound nuts? I am, probably. But to be intrinsic, is to constantly...consciously or unconsciously...be working and re-working a story. See right now I'm not physically scouring through my big green binder poking and probing my story, but I'll bet you any amount of money that subconsciously, there are kinks being worked out in my mind. That's what we do. It's what we have to do. It doesn't require a lot of effort, really. I just remind myself daily that even though I'm not actively involved in writing my novel at the moment, progress should prevail.

So, my advice to all you reading out there who has ever encountered the proverbial 'writer's block,' don't worry. As long as you don't lose sight of the story, you're getting a lot more done than you think! If you're intrinsic, you're intrinsic.

Keep dreaming, and let this natural phenomena do the work (for a while, anyway) then get back to the grind.