You’ve tried everything. Exercise, going for a walk, reading other books … let’s see … jumping up and down and squawking like a chicken. Nothing works. Your brain has shut down and the ideas have dried up. Worse yet … you’re in the middle of a work in progress and your brain cells decided to go on vacation. What do you do?
I don’t think drugs will do it. I wouldn’t even know what type to recommend. Maybe something over the counter that you’ve taken before and which gives you vivid dreams. Hmm. That’s a thought. Any recommendations? Ahem — I didn’t say that.
Anyway … maybe you just need a vacation. I don’t know about you, but I firmly believe that even writers need to take a break from writing. Not an easy thing to do for some of us. There are those who feel compelled to write. Whose guilt factor hits an all time high if a certain number of pages aren’t written in a given amount of time. And there are those whose main income is derived from writing … so taking any type of extended break may not be an option.
I’m fortunate/unfortunate in that I have a day job. Fortunate because I don’t have to rely on my writing for my main source of income — unfortunate because the day job really cuts into my writing time. But this does allow me to take a break from my writing when necessary and even take an occasional vacation.
Personally speaking, I find writers conferences to be a terrific way to break away from the daily drudgery. You’re getting away from the atmosphere that might be tying up your brain cells, yet you’re still in a writer’s environment. It’s the best of both worlds. You get to meet and greet other authors, attend workshops and generally kick start those brain cells.
Sounds like a plan to me.
Liz, hearing the progress of other writers always makes me want me to get going too. As soon as the contest is over, I’m going to do the exercises in Donald Maass’s Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook to get my brain cells working on my book again.
I take breaks when the well dries up, otherwise my writing is crappier than normal.
And yet, there are those times when life happens and I don’t get a chance to think about my WIP. There again, if my mind is tied up elsewhere, it affects my writing. I used to stress about it, but now I just take it in stride. Like you, I don’t depend on writing as a sole income source. Wow! I’d be a real starving artist if I did.
Liz, I also have a day job. One thing that helps me is not to take a total writing break but to switch from my current draft to another writing project. I find it helpful, too, to stop writing and to instead go read a book on writing when I’m burned out. This preserves the writing time on my busy schedule from being filled with other ongoing tasks.
Liz,
If we as writers don’t listen to our psyches and take a “time out”, we might hasten the “death” of our talent. This seems no different than women/men listening to their bodies and seeking help when they notice symptoms. We have to nurture our talent if we expect it to keep giving, just as we care for our bodies to keep ourselves going as best we can.
Of course, this is only one Wise Women fossil’s opinion.
Great thought for a Monday.
I’m retired, so I should have all the time in the world to write, but I find I’m busier then ever. Don’t know how I ever had time to work…But I find, taking a few days off from a wip helps, with a change of scene. It freshens things up a bit. I like conferences, but small ones. National I find to be so big and overwhelming and the energy level both good and bad, through the roof. The small conferences are easy to get around in, and you can find your freinds, not to mention cheaper and less stressful. And you get the same thing from it…withou the hassel.
Liz, I agree about needing a vacation from our work now and again. I love Mary Jo’s quote, “If we as writers don’t listen to our psyches and take a “time out”, we might hasten the “death” of our talent.” I’m a believer!
Whenever the brain cells take a break,I try and figure out what’s going on. Yesterday I took a “day off” and read…heaven. I really needed it, and much more focused today. I find too, not having a daily page requirement for myself helps. I know those on contract need to work differently, though.
Sounds like a good idea, Edie. I’m sure your brain cells are totally muddled right now. Sometimes its hard to compartimize (is that a word?) your mind so that you can do a number of things at once.
LOL. I hear ya, Kath, about being a starving artist. And I agree. Life does get in the way ‘pon occasion. When I was going through treatment, there were days (if not weeks) when I couldn’t even look at my WIP. No energy, no interest. However, I refused to let that stress me. But then, I do have a certain luxury of not depending on my writing as a main income.
Excellent point, Mary Jo. I sincerely believe that we do need a break from writing once in awhile. Granted, we never seem to completely break away from it. We might be in a tropical paradise, yet I’m willing to bet that every one of us are still thinking of the next scene, scribbling down notes, or just playing “what if”. Its the way we’re wired.
Y’know, Lee. I’ve always found that amazing. I seems that a good number of people I talk to who are retired find themselves busier than even. It does make you wonder how you managed to work full time and still get everything done.
I like small conferences as well, but I get a hellava buzz out of the big ones. I’m usually very social, so the big conferences are a treat for me. Yes, smaller conferences are intimate and gives you time with friends and making new ones, but the big conferences can also take you out of your comfort zone and force you to participate more. Plus, you get to mingle with readers, booksellers and other authors that you’d normally never get an opportunity to meet otherwise.
Yeah, when you’re under contract and and deadline, you don’t have the luxury of taking time off from the grind. That is the only time I won’t give myself permission to slack off. If someone else is relying on me to produce and delivery, come hell or high water, I’m gonna do it.
Didn’t realize I skipped responding to your comment, D.A. Sorry ’bout that.
A friend of mine stayed at home for years to give the writing a shot. After awhile she began having a lot of problems we’re talking several years of staying at home), and decided to go back to work part time. She said that the creative juices kicked back in when she found herself among other people. I guess sometimes you need a day job to take a “vacation” from your writing.
Liz, my writing a book brain has been on vacation for about two months, but the other writing part of my brain, the one that continues to promo, writes blogs, return emails, hang out on loops, work on biz stuff and other writing related venues needs a vacation too! i guess the only way for me to take a complete writing vacation is to put aside the laptop, and go where there is no internet and turn into a vegetable for a couple of weeks.
Hmm. Going totally veggie. That’s a daring move, Karin. I don’t think I could go cold turkey. However, given the schedule you’ve been under, I can see your problem.
A break is always good, Liz. I never seem to run out of ideas, but I can definitely lose enthusiasm for a WIP or find myself staring at a blank page and wondering where the hell things are going. Reading helps. Giving myself permission to take a day off also helps. I ran my own business for years, and had to close it down to move to Australia. The last 7 months I’ve had no day job, ‘just’ the kids, moving to a new country, settling in, etc., and I have loved the extra time to write. But I haven’t written all that much more than I did when I was running a business as well, into the mix. Now we are more settled though, I can see the page count is rising.
That’s the problem with making such a major move, Michelle. It seems to take forever to get settled. Consider that your “vacation” from writing.
Sounds like Lee when she retired. Its amazing how busy you keep even if you’re not working a day job. Here I envision having all this time when I finally quit the day job, but I’m willing to bet that doesn’t happen. I suspect I’ll be just as busy.
Usually, when my creativity does a no show, all it takes is reading a couple of books, and that seems to nudge the old muse loose again.
Sometimes though, if I’m tired or stressed, or the muse is being more stuborn than normal, I’ll have to pull out the big guns and down a double shot frappacino from star bucks…. since I don’t drink coffee–that caffine buzz always gets me writing again!