Q: I just finished NaNoWriMo and now that I’ve completed my first draft, I can’t seem to settle down and focus to start the rewrite. Do you have any tips or ideas?

A: Awesome question. First, congratulations on finishing your novel, or most of it for some folks. That is a huge accomplishment.

NaNoWriMo is a great tool for authors because it forces us to set a goal. We are writing toward something.

It also joins us with other writers and creates a bit of buzz and excitement, even a bit of competition, that keeps us going.

Most goals are like that: end driven. We want to get to the end and achieve what we started out to do. But then what?

So, you have 50,000 or more words on your novel. Perhaps you’ve taken a few days off to rest, recuperate and clean the house. Maybe dig the kids out from under that pile of dirty laundry.

Christmas is upon us so there are holiday parties, decorating and shopping to be done. Perhaps you’re traveling this season.

After a few days, you begin to lose the momentum of your NaNo story. What comes after the monumental accomplishment of fast drafting your novel – rewriting – starts to feel like an impossible task. Like climbing a literary Mt. Rushmore. Impossible.

“How can I possibly fix this mess?”

You can! Novels are not written, they are rewritten.

But after a hard season of writing, your emotions and creativity are drained. I remember when I finished The Sweet By and By, I’d pulled so much emotion out of myself to write the emotion of Jade’s panic attacks rather than say, “Panic hit her,” I was literally emotionally empty and dry as a bone.

It took me three days to recover.

So, give your self a break if you feel like you never want to write again. Or if the idea of looking at your novel makes you a bit queasy.

It’s normal.

But you need to start making plans to get back in the game. Don’t give into fear, doubt and laziness.

Here are some tips for refilling your emotional bank account and setting goals to rewrite your novel.

1. Time off. Take time off. Most of you are probably doing that, but if you aren’t, do it! Take a few days to breathe, sleep, get caught up.
2. Exercise. Take a long walk in the afternoons. Hit the gym again. Ride a bike. Hike. Something.
3. Read. Nothing like reading to fill up your word bank account.
4. Relax. Watch a few good movies. Catch up on the holiday classics. Those usually  have some kind of emotional memory for us that serve to fill the emotional bank.
5. Build relationships. Go on a date with your spouse or your kids. Have a girls night out or take your mom shopping. Call up your dad. Hang with the boys or the guys at the office. The feeling of love and goodwill among friends and family is a very key way to refill the emotional bank.
6. Music. Play your favorite songs. Put on Christmas music – another avenue to emotional memories. Do you play an instrument? Get it out, play!
7. Prayer and Worship. Hang out with the Lord. Pray and sing your favorite scriptures. Or, just open up to your daily reading, declare it back to the Lord. Fill your emotional bank with the TRUTH of His Word and who He is.
8. Laughter. Nothing fills the emotional bank like a good laugh. When was the last time you had a good, gut–gripping laugh? Read Calvin and Hobbs if you need a good, lasting, slap-your-knee guffaw.
9. Bake. Nothing like putzing around in the kitchen to get the creative juices going. Bake for your family or others.
10. Goals. Set GOALS to get back into the story. Share them with someone so you declare it out loud. There is something true and real about declaring your goals out loud.

Once your emotional bank is replenished or becoming replenished, get back to writing. Don’t wait until “after the holidays” unless you really have to. Get back to writing a few minutes or an hour every day so you can keep your hand and heart on the story.

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Best-selling, award-winning author Rachel Hauck loves a great story. She excels in seeing the deeper layers of a story. With a love for teaching and mentoring, Rachel comes alongside writers to help them craft their novel. A worship leader, board member of ACFW and popular writing teacher, Rachel is the author of over 15 novels. She lives in Florida with her husband and her dog, Lola. Contact her at: Rachel@mybooktherapy.com.

Go forth and write!

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Go forth and write!