Stay Engaged!

 
I’ve slowly realized something over years of reading…
 
Everything else being equal, there often seems to be an inverse correlation between the length of time over which you read a book and your enjoyment of it.
 
Not the words-per-minute speed at which you typically read, but how many days/weeks/months it takes to finish the book.
 
I don’t think this is rocket science. When we re-open a book we’ve left for several days, it often takes us a while to re-connect with the characters and their situation. Sometimes we have to back up a bit to catch up, sort of like the ubiquitous “recap” most TV series have at the top of a new season. There’s a book I put aside a couple of months ago for admin reasons, even though it’s likely a very good book. (I really like the author, loved his previous book, and the part I did read was engaging.) I’m a few chapters in – 20 or 30 pages. I don’t want to shortchange the book nor my experience of it, so when I re-engage I’m going to have to start back on page 1.
 
I think the real cost is getting the whole vibe of the book back into your head before you can move forward with any serious engagement. This is similar to the “cost of transition” (discussed earlier) where changing POV or location or timeline causes the reader to have to get used to the new paradigm before becoming fully engaged with the story again, and too many of these can cause a reader to lose interest and put the book down.
 
Whereas when I read at least a moderate amount of a book each day, my brain recalls the story aspects from the day before almost instantly and bam, I’m back in the wonderful “movie in my head” feeling the best books can engender. This is significant in increasing a reader’s enjoyment, without a doubt.
 
Well, it works from the other direction also…
 
If “staying fully engaged” is important when reading, it’s an order of magnitude more important when writing. Because if you lose touch with your character’s voice for a while due to an extended lack of engagement with the story, you’re not just going to be a little less interested until you catch back up, but the book itself might suffer from it, perhaps permanently.
 
I’m not a fan of prescriptive advice such as, “You must write every day!” Everyone’s life is different—with different priorities. (And as a practical matter, I don’t know a single writer who writes every day.)
 
But I often do say, “Try to write regularly… whatever that means for you.” Because that’s how you keep the story in your subconscious… the source of much of the really good stuff.
 
And I also say, “Try to make contact with your story most days, if you can.” Which doesn’t mean “write every day.” It means if you can’t write that day, maybe go back and line edit your last chapter. Or perhaps read through your last few chapters. Or have a little “ponder, plan, and plot” session. Or, if none of this is possible, maybe you can simply think about your story as you do other low-concentration activities (commute to work, wash the dishes, walk the dog, mow the lawn, take a shower, etc.). All of these—even just day-dreaming about it for ten minutes as you lay in bed prior to falling asleep—will help keep your story in your brain, keeping you in touch with not only the plot events, but your character and her voice… perhaps the most important aspect of all when it comes to creating compelling stories that connect with readers.
 
And as a bonus, I think you may find your subconscious rewarding you for this “constant feeding of the brain” with some really interesting, compelling, emotionally-evocative ideas for your work.
 
Take care of your muse, and it will take care of you.