Litopia

Been there, done that, and I'm having a t-shirt printed. Put it to one side and look at it again next year.

Being able to flip-flop roles between “writer” and “reader” is a vital skill… yet few people actually talk about it...

How do you mean, @AgentPete? I gave it no less than six rereading and editing passes before I started sending it out, if that's what you mean...

Reading as a reader, with no idea where the journey of this story will take you, is not like reading as a writer, worrying about how to get to the end with the message intact. I can't read as a reader until a beta reader says something that kickstarts that side of the brain, then I use 'method acting' to become someone else, and read the story again, with nothing in the head searching for 'fix it' moments. Not easy.

I find it easier to read from the perspective of reader if I let my MS (or anything) rest. At least 2 weeks.

I gave it two months. Back then, I thought it was...servicable, I guess, by my standards? Now I just hate it.