Writing (Photo credit: jjpacres)
This past week, I’ve struggled with inspiration.
I don’t just mean I haven’t written much, more that I haven’t written at all. For someone who’s supposed to be doing Camp NaNo this month, it’s a bit of an issue. And I can’t even say that I haven’t had time, because I have – I’ve just chosen to spend that time catching up on TV shows I’ve missed, or reading, rather than writing.
I’m not going to get worked up about it, though. While common advice is to make yourself do it (and I’ve endorsed that sort of advice myself), I don’t think that the occasional break from writing is necessarily detrimental. In fact, I think it can leave you feeling refreshed and give you a new perspective on things. My notebook is full of ideas – single sentences, most of them, but things which will add a richness to my story when I expand on them. I’ve not been writing, but I’ve not been idle either.
A break, though, is good only if it’s limited. I’ve been known to put down my pen and not pick it up again for months. Sure, I had an excuse last time this happened in that I’d just given birth, but I shouldn’t have waited till my youngest was nine months old before I started writing again. The break was far too long and it took me a while to get back into the swing of the story. For me, I think a week is about right. It would be far too easy to let this hiatus drag on and not get any writing done, but then that would be detrimental to the desired outcome – namely, a finished manuscript.
As such, starting tomorrow I’m going to start writing again. It would be today, but it’s a public holiday in my part of the world and the day is full of family-related things. I may get a chance after the kids go to bed, but then again I may not. We’ll see how it goes. Tomorrow, though, I have no excuse, and I have plenty of ideas thanks to my break. I’m making a promise to myself … hopefully I’ll keep it.
What are your thoughts on taking a break? Are you a “write at all costs” sort of person, or do you think that the occasional period of time off can be beneficial? I know where I stand, but I also know that different things work for different people. So, let me know what works for you and who knows, I might find something that’s better for me too. :)
Breaks. I definitely need breaks. Unless I have a deadline and my rent depends on it, and then, you just sit down and do it.
Absolutely! Though I am yet to get to the point where I get paid for my writing, so I have no deadlines to worry about except those which are self imposed. But a bit of a rest every now and then definitely recharges the soul, doesn’t it?
I think breaks are great and in my cas a lot goes into thinking and mulling. I do recommend a small digital tape recorder so that if you feel super inspired but you have to do something else you record your thoughts!
Great post thanks for sharing.
I have been known to leave notes on my phone for when I’m out and about and those brilliant ideas come to me. Kids’ swimming lessons are a big one, I’ve found, though there is always the danger of an errant splash or two landing on the phone at the wrong time. Sigh. But yes, time off can certainly result in some great ideas – I’ve found that too!
Breaks are good. I think if you write and write without stopping you eventually get stuck in this spiral of getting more and more frustrated without getting meaningful work done.
That said, I have set a “300 words a day, no matter what” goal for myself, but if I don’t feel like working on my novel I go write some crappy poetry or fanfic that day to give my brain a break.
300 words a day is a great target, but then that would mean I’d have to get to the computer (or my notepad, I guess) every day and that just doesn’t always happen. I often go in spurts, I find – 5000 words in a day sometimes, other times (like last week ) nothing for a week. I think you’re right, though – too much full-speed-ahead can often be counter productive if you look at the quality of what you’re writing. Thanks for the comment!
Hi Emily!
You should definitely not stress about this at all.
Writing breaks are essential especially if you have been writing so hard you haven’t had time to relax, watch tv and read, like you seem to suggest.
A couple of things about writing:
1. It uses a lot of brain power, and sometimes your brain just needs a rest, some recovery period.
2. (and this is probably even more important) Writing is about balancing input and output. Your brain needs stimulation and creative food. It can’t just be constantly producing creativity without receiving a little relaxation and creative consumption in return. Sometimes we actively read and search out things that will assist our writing, but it is just as important to let your brain chill out and passively absorb the world around you. Otherwise, you will simply run out of juice. Sometimes it is passive input that leads to the most exciting, creative output.
2b. There is no such thing as living, relaxing, procrastinating in a way that does not contribute to your writing and your ability to create.
Good luck!
Thanks Holly! Though I wasn’t really feeling guilty, just pondering as to whether breaks were generally regarded as a good thing or not. But you are definitely right – you can’t be creative all the time. It just doesn’t work that way. And what you call creative consumption (reading, watching TV) can definitely help in the creative process anyway, because you’re looking at story structure and writing style and all sorts of thing as you’re consuming. At least, that’s what I do.
But thanks for the vote of confidence; I’ve certainly got my chin up now! 
Ms Kench is wise. More things contribute to writing than just writing.
That said, I do try to do something writing-related every day, even if it’s only planning or submitting or marketing. Alas, my current relocation interstate is impacting severely.
Oh dear. Relocation is definitely something that can hinder the creative process … unless you choose to write a book about the experience!! All kidding aside, though, if you can do something writing-related every day then that can only be to your benefit. I may steal that idea and see if I can’t do that too, especially since I have no relocations, interstate or otherwise, on my horizon.
I think breaks are crucial to avoid burn out.
So do I. I just wasn’t sure if that was conventional wisdom or not. Thanks for backing me up!!
I don’t think there’s a problem with not writing every day. However, writing is so much a part of me that I am usually thinking about it virtually non-stop. It is such a joy to potter in the garden and let inspiration do its own thing. It is also great to take a break and read the work of others.
With me, how much I think about writing depends on how into my story I am at that point in time. I’m afraid that I can get the good parts written nice and quickly, only to have the boring and filling bits drag on and on (which is where I’m at now). What i need is a good couple of uninterrupted hours where I can just get stuck into it again … trouble is, the baby doesn’t generally let me do that. Sigh. In any case, sitting and having a read of what I already have usually gives me the impetus to write something, so that’s better than nothing, right?
We all have down times for lots of reasons – health, work, other stuff happening – and we all deal with them differently. My biggest writing block was building a house! Forcing it doesn’t work for me. I generally put it aside and do something active – wash the car, weed the garden, go for a walk – and let my subconscious get on with the job. I enjoy your blog, Emily.
Why, thank you! Yes, different things definitely work for different people. I find I don’t write nearly so well without a cup of tea next to me, for example. But doing something completely unrelated can work wonders too, I find. It’s amazing how many ideas come to me at kids’ swimming lessons, or when I’m taking out the rubbish, or any other time when I don’t have a pen handy. Thanks for the comment!