BY JESSICA SHEN
Here at the X, we have talked a lot about making sure that you set a schedule for yourself, and that you write every day. However, today I want to talk about the importance of taking a break.
These days, I’m all about working out, so like in my last post, I’m going to use another exercise analogy. If you’re like me, you don’t particularly enjoy exercising for the sake of exercising, which means that in order to make sure you do it, you have to set a schedule and goals for yourself. You have to form the habit of exercising regularly. With writing, you undoubtedly enjoy it—that’s not the problem. The problem is making sure that you stick to it, because honestly, we writers are flighty creatures, and we’ll stop what we’re doing for any shiny object in our path.
But, like I said, having a schedule and making sure you write isn’t the point of this blog. You’ve already got that down pat—right? Let’s go back to the exercise analogy. When you’re working out regularly, one of the most important and healthful things you can do for your body is to rest. You need to give your body time to recover from all the work that you’re putting it through. Exercise, by definition, stresses the body—it’s hard on your muscles, your joints, your heart. That’s why we don’t schedule two leg days in a row.
Now, that doesn’t mean that on your rest day, you sit on the couch all day watching TV and eating potato chips (although I doubt anyone would begrudge you that indulgence every once in a while). Instead, you want to take a walk, go on a bike ride, play in the park with your kids—take what we call an active rest day. You’re not completely collapsing into a lump, but you’re also not working yourself super hard; you’re doing low-impact activities, giving your body the time it needs to rest and relax so that you start your next workout refreshed and renewed.
When writing and editing, it can be so easy to get burnt out. Perhaps you’re butting your head against an idea that’s just not coming out right, or you’re editing the same thing so often that you can no longer see the errors in front of you. Maybe you’re losing inspiration, or you’re trying to crank it out but nothing is happening. We are our own toughest critics, and sometimes the idea of taking a break can seem a little too much like giving up. But, like in working out, it’s important to take breaks when writing.
Give your brain some time to rest. If you find yourself pushing up against a wall, take a step back. Better yet—don’t even let it get to the point where you’re straining against yourself at the end of every writing session. Schedule breaks for yourself, whether it’s just getting up from your chair and making yourself a cup of coffee, or going for a short run around the block, or even curling up on the couch and watching a good movie. Your brain is a muscle, and it needs time to recharge. Switch gears and focus on something totally different—perhaps do some freewriting, or work on a different project. Who knows—you may even find the solution to a problem you were wrestling with.
After I finished editing On the Isle of Sound and Wonder, by Alyson Grauer (which is being released worldwide on November 21st, with an exclusive release at Teslacon 2014! Preorder the e-book here!), I decided that I needed to take some time away from editing. This is not to say that it was a difficult story to edit—on the contrary, it went swimmingly, and I think we edited the thing in record time. But, at the same time, my mind was still full of all the long hours I had put it through staring at the screen. I needed time to absorb all the lessons I had learned so I could show up at my next project refreshed and ready to begin again.
I gave myself a couple weeks to chill out and think about other things, like marketing and getting prepared for Teslacon. Now, my self-imposed break is over, and I’m ready to dive in and give all my attention to the second novel in Ben Ireland’s Kingdom City series (you can purchase the first novel, Kingdom City: Resurrection, here).
Like with exercising, the point is not just to give up and stop whenever you feel like things are getting hard. Schedule your writing diligently, and schedule in your breaks, as well. Having a good balance between work and play, and being happy and well-rested, are essential to successful writing.
Senior Editor Jessica Shen works her fingers to the bone from her home in Northern California, with brain breaks such as globe trotting to keep her in top form. With several developmental irons in the fire, such as Kingdom City 2 by Ben Ireland, and Pneumatica: Adventures in Steampunk by James Potter, both slated for 2015 release, her latest project, On the Isle of Sound and Wonder by Alyson Grauerwill be released on November 21, 2014, with special advance purchase available at Teslacon 2014 in Madison, WI, November 7-9th.