Stephen King, in his book 'On writing' (and other writers), says one should put some gap of time between drafts. So for example, wait a month after finishing the 1st draft, before starting work on the 2nd draft.
Why is this needed? Is it needed?
Answer
I would say yes, you should leave a gap between the first draft and redraft, with the qualifier that you should do what you find works for yourself.
The reason many authors such as Stephen King suggest this is because it allows you to come back and read what you've written with "fresh" eyes. It is often the case that, when you've spent a long time working on a piece of writing, constantly going back and forth, you become so used to the text that you cannot see any possible way to improve it. This can lead to frustration and/or a false sense of perfection with what you've written. By giving it a break, you can come back almost as if you've "forgotten" it.
However, this may not be what works for you. I seem to recall Zadie Smith once saying that, when she was writing White Teeth, she would spend hours every day re-reading everything that she had previously written before she would carry on, editing along the way.
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