Resources

Take a Break

In order to truly re-see your draft from the point of view of your reader, it is very useful to put it aside for a while before rereading it, preferably for at least a day.

Scheduling your work with sufficient time to take a break between drafts will improve the quality of your revisions dramatically. Taking a break can help you:

  • Gain a fresh perspective: During a break from writing you will engage in many other activities that will take your mind away from the details on which you were focused. As a result you will come back to the essay in a state more like that of those who will eventually read your essay.
  • Recognize gaps: While deeply engaged in the writing process, writers often focus on their main ideas and overlook the reader’s need for examples, connections and explanations. After a break, you are much more likely to spot such gaps in what you have written.
  • Imagine new approaches: Reading from a fresh perspective allows you to see patterns in your writing that you may have overlooked previously or to imagine new angles you might take on the topic.

You may wish to review the Time Management module to learn about scheduling your time more effectively.

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