Getting Back Into It

I finished my revision of my second novel, The Ransomed Returning! I needed to cut it from 122K down to 100K. It came out at 91K! I could hardly believe it when I finished typing up all my changes and checked the word count. Phew! Who knew I had so much fat in there to cut?

I'll read over the whole thing after I let it sit for a week or two, and I think I'll find it a stronger novel than it was before. This was a fairly new experience for me. I've never had to cut so radically or revise so extensively. Of course, this is my first novel after a decade of short stories, so I guess that's to be expected.

Now that I'm done with that, I'm ready to get back to work on my third book, Shattered Skies. I'm nearly done with it, but it's been six weeks since I looked at it. It taking some effort to get back into it, to figure out where I am and where I was going. Fortunately, it's another sequel to Defenders of the Covenant, so I have been working with the same characters during the revision. That makes it easier. Still, I'm having a bit of trouble getting my head around the story again. Re-reading a few chapters and looking over my notes will be helpful. Daydreaming about the fabulous ending I'm almost at is good too. Other than that, I just have to dive right back in and see where it takes me.

What are your suggestions for getting back into a story you've set aside for a while?