Writers
love to write, so if it were suggested that you take a break, you’d probably
wonder why – or how? But as the year
winds down this might be the perfect time to slow down a bit and refresh
yourself for the New Year. So how does one shut down the thing they are
passionate about?
Most writers at some point suffer from writer’s block, leaving them impotent and
frustrated. They are bewildered,
wondering when that mojo or burst of creativity will return. However, taking a little time to slow down
and shift priorities, especially as the holidays approach, can be a voluntary
act. You can take ownership of not
writing, knowing that you are allowing yourself to cleanse your mind and open
it to new ideas and approaches.
To
get your mind out of writing, replace it with something. Take a vacation and explore the real world, rather than living in your own imagination.
Catch up with friends and family and see what others are doing, thinking,
and feeling. Volunteer some time with a
charity or non-profit. By helping others
you feel good about yourself. Consider
changing some of your habits or routine and let a new type of schedule or
pattern unfold. Do some of the things
you have been pushing off or holding back on.
Go out, move and touch the world.
Of
course writers can’t stop thinking like writers. We see drama unfolding all of the time. We read a news story and think of an idea for
a book. We watch a movie and it inspires
thoughts for a blog post. We talk to
other writers and it stimulates the writing brain. So what do we do with these intellectual erections?
Make
note of them but don’t act.
Instead
of writing for your typical 30 minutes, two hours, or whatever, just jot down
some ideas and store them away. Use your
time for observing, doing, interacting, and consuming content – the writing
will come soon, but not yet.
Many
writers would never think to take a break, but they usually reach a point of exhaustion
or a lack of motivation. One minute the
writing flows like a waterfall and the next it’s a drought. If you take time to recharge and step away
from the thing you love, you will come back strong and productive.
You
might say that this is a stupid strategy.
After all, who stops what they enjoy doing the most? You may say that a break will come naturally,
when the ideas run dry. But when that
happens, you get frustrated and fight harder to force things. When the break comes of your own volition
you’ve given yourself permission to relax and not feel any pressure to
produce. It’s a different frame of mind
at play.
The
end of the year, for me, is always a nice time.
People seem a little nicer to one another. Everyone is exchanging presents. We take some days off from work and maybe go
somewhere. We spend more time with
family and friends. It’s also a time for
reflection on the past year and to set some goals for the new one. You may also see it as a perfect moment to
step away from your notebook or computer and live life so that you can be
motivated to recreate it on paper.
Enjoy
your break – and avoid a breakdown.
Catch
The All-New 2017 Book Marketing & PR Toolkit
Brian
Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and
not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email
him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in
the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2016 ©.
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of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby
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