Friday, September 21, 2012

It's Okay to Take a Break

For the past 4-5 weeks I've been a little hard to find online and my fellow Indelibles have probably forgotten I even exist. I'm sure they think I'm on a beach somewhere drinking something fruity, delivered by I cabana boy. I WISH!!

Fact is, I had a horrible flood in my kitchen and the whole thing had to be gutted right down to the studs. While insurance paid for most of it, we did a lot of the work to save on the deductible and to upgrade a few things. The good news is that I get a new kitchen out of the mess and as of today . . . IT IS DONE!!!  Squeeeee!!!

The bad news is, I haven't written a single word for almost three weeks. I'm one of those writers who has to write every day or I feel guilty, like I'm not fulfilling my goals or something. Or like the handful of fans I have will be angry if my next book isn't out in record time.

Thing is . . . I was feeling a little empty and having a hard time focusing on my characters and story. I felt stuck.

Now that it's been so long since I've written, and actually gone whole days without thinking about my characters (GASP) I feel refreshed and ready to write again. And for the first time in a very long time, I feel like it's okay not to write every day. If I need a break or life leads me in a different direction, that's okay. I need more balance in my life and allowing some fun time mingled in with the work is healthy.

So, tomorrow I go back to work . . . to writing.  And I'm sooo ready to crank out a best-seller.

Have you ever been forced away from writing only to realize you needed the break and are better for it?  I'd love to hear about it.

5 comments:

  1. I strongly believe that breaks are okay. I don't think writing should come before time with family or developing healthy friendships that all add to the richness of life and our writing! Sorry about your kitchen! Have fun jumping back into it!

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  2. Your new kitchen is beautiful! Have fun cooking in it. :) I'm a big believer in breaks and I don't even force myself to write every day. I've tried every type of schedule, from writing every day for a certain amount of time or to a certain word count to having specific writing days. What works for me is to pound out a lot of words when I get the chance.
    It's cloudy and raining this weekend, so I'm going for 10K, but that's after not worrying about writing all week. I'm enjoying this new approach.

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  3. Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear about your kitchen, that's horrible! I'm glad to hear that it's done though and things are getting back to normal for you. I've never been forced into a break but I know I'm over due for one.

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  4. "I'm one of those writers who has to write every day or I feel guilty" - on the one hand, this is good. It means you're dedicated and know your priorities.

    But if it was anything other than creative pursuits, we'd call you insane. OCD.

    Fact is; as a writer. You could have six months off, and you'd still be a writer.

    Often, come the end of an unproductive day, we force the words out. When we look at them the next morning, they suck. We'd have been better off watching a movie and having a drink.

    Look after yourself, mentally. You don't have to write all the time. There's always tomorrow. And I don't mean that in a procrastination way, I just mean: literally, tomorrow morning; you can write then instead of today. The world won't end, you'll still be a writer.

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  5. People need vacations. It is good to write daily, but when it starts to fee like a chore, then it's time for a little separation. That's awful about your kitchen. I hope you enjoy your new kitchen!

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