Some Stories Need Time to Simmer

This may be a controversial opinion ...

A few years ago, when I was only just starting to take publishing my stories seriously, I came across a piece of writing advice that made perfect sense to me at the time. 

I don't recall the exact wording, but the idea was that your first draft should be written as quickly as possible. That, if you took long breaks while writing a novel, your perspective would inevitably change and you'd never be able to continue writing the same story. 

One one level, I agree.

We change constantly. Sometimes over years, sometimes over just a few weeks. As we grow, our stories naturally grow with us. 

BUT ...

I would challenge this idea of writing a story so quickly. It has its place, and I have even done it myself, however there is another way of looking at it. 

My current novel, Sanctuary on Severn, is already a decade long project, and I honestly believe it's a better story because of that. 

I could have published it after graduating from university. I had written and edited the two halves for my undergraduate and masters dissertations in Creative Writing respectively, and it had received a lot of encouraging feedback. 

But, something in me knew it wasn't ready ... that it could be so much better. 

Since then, I've spent years learning how to edit novels. Life happened too. There were weeks - and definitely months - where my manuscript sat untouched on the shelf because other things needed my attention.

Years ago, I would have seen those breaks as failures. 

Now, I see them differenly. 

Every time I have returned to that story, I have brought something new with me. New editing skills. New life experiences. A deeper understanding of my characters. Better ideas for the plot and world. 

My novel had been growing while I wasn't actively writing or editing it. 

This is because our brains continue working on things (like problem solving and creativity) in the background while we're busy living our lives. Sometimes, they need space to connect ideas we couldn't have forced together by staring at our screens for hours.  

Like a good stew, some stories need time to simmer.

That doesn't mean writing a draft quickly is wrong. I've done that too, and there are real benefits to building momentum and staying immersed in a story.

But, it is not the only way to write a good novel.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for a story is keep writing.

Other times the best thing you can do is live a little before coming back to it. 

Looking back now, I'm incredibly grateful I didn't publish my novel straight after university. I'm far prouder of the novel it's becoming than I ever could have been of the version I had back then. 

Both approaches certainly have their place, and I'll continue to use whichever suits the story and the season of life I am in at the time. 

I'm curious ... are you Team 'All in One', Team 'Let it Breathe', or a bit of both? Let me know below - I'd love to hear your thoughts 🙂

Keep your eyes peeled for more news on my writing here and on my Instagram!