Why it’s Ok to Take a Break from Writing - Sometimes

Ok. Let’s just get straight to it.

It’s been a tougher than usual few months.

Watching the horror that was the Australian bushfires unfold, I (like many others) breathed a sigh of relief when the rain came. I watched as the writing community banded together in the Authors for Fireys twitter auctions to help support those who had suffered. Things would be tough for the people who were directly affected, but the rest of us would stand behind and beside them to help them through.

With this collective generosity floating about, I was buoyed with optimism. I was certain this was the start of a new, uplifting approach to the world that would inspire us all to greatness. I was positively champing at the bit to write each morning.

I mean, we’d been through the worst, hadn’t we?

#OhWowWasIWrong

The misery of the Covid-19 pandemic has sledge-hammered my spirit of optimism a little harder each day. Slowly, the things that I loved were identified as risky, and (rightfully) access to them was removed.

Air travel. Cafe breakfasts. Libraries. Museums. Art Galleries.

For me, it was only when they were taken away that I realised how priveleged I had been. How much I had taken these luxuries for granted. How lucky I was that I could afford them (most of the time). That I had access. That I had a job that gave me that access. That my job was secure, and I wasn’t having to join the queues at Centrelink. That I didn’t need to worry about how I was going to eat, or keep the electricity on.

So I followed the new restrictions gladly. Washing my hands. Keeping my distance. Staying home. Doing the right thing.

But losing access to the things that fed my spirit stripped me of that sense of optimism I’d had a month earlier.

And I stopped writing.

Not just my manuscript, but everything. Goodbye to freelance pitches. This blog. Even Shopping lists!

(Ok, to be honest the shopping list thing was really just a natural progression. When the only things left on the shelf are kidney beans and rum n raisin chocolate, there’s no point planning ahead. Just grab a basket and hope for the best…)

I lost the motivation to create.

Instead of writing, rightly or wrongly, I spent my time online. I tried to support other writers. Bought their books. Watched their talks. Subscribed to their Youtube channels. Attended Zoom book launches. I shared their tweets to promote new releases. I couldn’t bring myself to think creatively, but I realised I could focus on the work of others until my brain was back into gear. And I read. A LOT. So, while I wasn’t writing, exactly, I was taking steps to nourish that part of myself in other ways. By building community and absorbing great writing to inspire my own.

Yes, a lot of people say you should have a regular writing habit, and I agree. You should! Writing is a muscle you have to flex pretty regularly, or it atrophies. But I also think that taking a bit of a sabbatical is not the end of the world.

I would like to add a disclaimer that if you are on a deadline set by a publisher, then ignore my advice. You probably should battle through this procrastination and stick to your schedule - they’re counting on you! But if your deadlines are your own, then it’s okay to give yourself a break occasionally. Be kind to yourself. Recognise that sometimes life is just a bit hard, and you might have some temporary creative limitations along the way.

So if you need to, rest. Use your ‘break’ to replenish your creativity. Do things that nurture your soul. Read. Walk in nature. Watch your favourite films. Talk to your friends. Hey, have a Zoom/Skype wine catch-up! (#anyexcuse). Whatever works to make you feel like you again.

And then get back to it. And go hard.

I began a writing course during my creative ‘black-hole’. The assignments were brief and manageable, and it helped me to gently get back into the swing of things. Originally my manuscript’s first draft deadline was 31st March, but I realised I was never going to meet it. Now, I’ve extended that to the end of April. Yep - I’m putting that out there into the world, so there’s no chance of taking the foot off the pedal again. I couldn’t take the shame!

Here’s hoping my creative break will translate into a great draft.

I could really use an easy edit ;)