The Benefits of R&R for Your Writing
Photo by Vu Thu Giang on Unsplash
It’s summer, which means many of us are, in some way, taking some time to relax and unwind. Whether you’re traveling or staying close to home, you may be on a different schedule than normal. (I’m on a waking up at 5:00 am schedule which, if you know me, is crazy – and maybe that’s why I pay for it by struggling to get up the rest of the year?)
Steven King famously claims to write 2,000 words a day, 365 days a year, no matter what. Clearly that’s worked out for him in many ways, and writers do benefit from a consistent schedule. After all, if you want a writing career (as opposed to a writing hobby) you have to treat it like, well, work. I.e., you have to show up and get a certain amount done whether you feel like it or not.
But the flip side is that writers can also benefit from time away from writing. It doesn’t mean you don’t love writing, and it doesn’t mean you’re lazy or a slacker or not serious enough.
There are many reasons it’s a good idea to take an occasional break:
It’s a great time to “fill the well” as Julia Cameron says, by doing things that enhance your creativity but that are not writing. Exploring a new place, taking long walks in nature, trying a different creative outlet, going to museums, etc. If we’re always on “output” mode and never getting new input, it’s easy to burn out.
It’s also an excellent opportunity to get perspective on a project. This is especially important if you’ve finished a draft but need some distance from it before tackling revision. It can also be good, however, if you are stuck in the middle and need to think about where the story is going. Or, if you’re between big projects and are thinking about what to do next.
Taking a break doesn’t necessarily have to mean not doing any writing at all. You might experiment with a form that you’re not as invested in. A fiction writer can write poetry; you can always do some quick writing prompts or exercises. Write a picture-book story, or fanfiction; start a memoir piece. In other words, have fun with writing that you don’t take so seriously.
Above all, you get to live life so you have something to write about! The experiences you have while doing things other than writing are all grist for the mill later. You never know what ideas will pop into your head once you’ve had a chance to clear it.
Plus, you might actually get to, you know, catch up on your reading.
The main thing is, take a conscious break. Decide on a beginning and end date. This isn’t a procrastination scenario, where you plan to write, or think you should write, and somehow never get around to it.
One thing I’ve discovered is that taking such a conscious break paradoxically makes me more eager than ever to get back to it once the break is over.
It helps, though, to have a plan to ease yourself back into it, like coming back from any vacation. Give yourself a firm date to start again, and a firm amount of time or word goal to meet. But make it an easy win – as low as you need to in order for it to not feel overwhelming, like 15 minutes, or 250 words. If you do more than that, great, but if you meet your minimum, that’s fine. Try it for a week or so until you get back into the swing of it.
I’m actually going to take some R&R next week, when I’m on a family vacation. Then, the following week, I have a writing retreat week planned.
Do you have a plan to take some R&R from your writing this summer? Let us know in the comments!
