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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/36526
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

> Generally - is it a bad idea to try to finish a novel after a long break or would it be more productive to just start a new project from scratch? And, if it's not too broad a question, how might one go about restarting such an old project?

I have heard this called the _Steven King method_, based on the potentially apocryphal story of King leaving a manuscript in his desk for a year, only to revisit and rewrite it with fresh eyes. The general idea is that given the time one will be more objective about the story.

This method normally applies to finished works, but I no reason it shouldn't be similarly effective on partially/mostly finished works.

As for starting over with a new idea, one would be as productive as one is with a new work; unless you think your work is a lost cause, re-writing has the benefit of the previous effort that went into it. This benefit should always be positive in productivity, almost by definition.

Original score: 2