Fallow Time

The old folks used to talk about letting a field lie fallow for a certain period of time–sometimes one or two growing seasons, sometimes longer. It would mean that the land wasn’t cultivated for that period of time; they didn’t grow crops on it. They might let cattle use it for pastureland, or they might leave it alone completely. The idea was to let the soil rest and replenish itself with the necessary elements, compounds, water, etc. so that after the fallow period, it might would bring a bumper crop when it was planted and cultivated again.

After I finished this draft of Looking for Home, I decided to just let it sit for a bit.

I did this because I know myself.

If I read it again too quickly after finishing it, I would still be in the glow of creating and finishing the work and would not be able to see the holes in it. I always, always think the writing’s great as it runs through my fingers to the page. What other way is there to say this? So I need to get some perspective on the document itself.

While I was writing each section, I bracketed some words like “redo”, “fill out”, “develop more”. Those are scattered throughout each section. I would put them in when I didn’t exactly know how to work out a narrative problem. My brain needs some time to work subconsciously on those problem areas.

The fallow period for a manuscript can last a short or a long time. I decided to rest mine over Christmas and take it up in January, the time of new beginnings, right after the solstice as the sun begins to stay longer in the sky here in the southeastern United States. I am really itching to get back to it when December is over. Whenever I have the urge to go ahead and start, I give my brain a narrative problem in it to chew on for a while. I’ve already done some preliminary planning for them from this practice, so that’s good.

Are you in a fallow time? Let me know in the comments!