Oftentimes with our art we become too close to a project to truly look it over with a critical eye. But as artists, we are frequently our first critics. And especially with something like writing, even after the pencil is put down there is still so much that needs to be taken into consideration.
Once you’ve reached a point where you feel finished with the first draft of whatever it is you’re working on, step away for a moment. Take a day or two—or even a couple of months—to put it out of your mind completely. By the time you get back to your work, you’ll be able to critique it with a bit more of an objective viewpoint than if you’d looked at it while still being lost in “creator mode.”