Sanity.I've never done an RTW (check out YA Highway and participate yourself!), but the question spoke to me today. Probably because I haven't been writing for a few weeks now. My WiPs are off with CPers. I've planned for NaNo. And I don't want to start anything new. I told myself a break would be good.
But the lack of sanity that comes with not writing is no longer refreshing.
I find myself talking in other voices in my head just to keep my brain functioning. I sent out crazy emails to some of my CPers where I was making random jokes and write in crazy voices that don't belong to me. I keep twisting around words in my mind--distracting myself from things like, oh, getting to my appointments on time.
It isn't pretty.
And the twelve days to NaNo is an eternity. Every morning, I get up thinking--I'm just going to break the rules and start writing.
And I just might have to--because without writing to occupy my brain, my thoughts are splashing around everywhere. I need writing to smooth me out--to give my brain something to work on.
So my number one reason for writing--it's me. Because I'm not me when I don't have this outlet.
I need my sanity back.
And look--I'm running late for an appointment again.
Do you take breaks from writing? Does it give you head trauma?
21 comments:
I think the longest break I've ever taken from writing was MAYBE three days. MAYBE. Because even when I'm not writing I'm thinking about writing. So definitely, I think I'd go crazy without writing.
Sanity is my reason as well. I haven't written anything new except blog posts lately. I've been doing a lot of critiquing and revising. That's hard on me. I'm eager for NaNo to start just to let myself go for the month.
Awesome answer! I could add that to my long list of reasons for why I write.
Cheers!
I take breaks but they never last long. I itch to get back to it. Like a drug. That doesnt sound good! :).
I take the summers off because that's when I'm the busiest shooting weddings. By August I'm itching to write again. I slack on editing photos to edit my manuscript.
My breaks don't last very long either. Jobs, appointments, everything else be darned, the REAL reason you were put here keeps calling. (in my case, one of many real reasons)
Good post!
I do take breaks but if they are too long I start to feel like I can't breathe. I get extremely crabby and not fun to be around! I'll squeeze it in wherever I can just to release all the pressure building up in my head! LOL.
I do take breaks and keep reminding myself that it's okay.
If I try to take breaks, I have multi-stories going on in my head. Try to navigate yourself in traffic with all these voices in your head. WEAREGOINGTODIE!!!
Then I start dreaming the stories, tossing, turning and waking up off and on.
No it is safer if I write, even if it is gibberish.
I get very anxious when life sucks up too much of my time and I can't write. Like, the way it has this entire week. The last time I wrote was Friday, and I'm quite crabby about it!
Normal people rarely write good fiction.
:)
T
Chessie--Only three days? That's impressive. I've taken off more than that, but this multiple week thing is killing me.
Christine--Me too! I am so overly excited. I'm also excited to see everyone's word counts updates that month to keep my motivated.
Juliana--Yeah, if I stop to think about it, there are a lot more reasons why I write. I'm just really feeling the sanity issue right now.
Jessie--It is like a drug. I've been all jittery like I've had too many cups of coffee--but the thing is, I don't drink caffeine. Crazy.
Erin--I bet! I don't have a job that offers any kind of mental challenge or creativity. When I use to have more mentally challenging jobs, I could take more time off. A few months wouldn't bother me all that much.
Donelle--Thanks! But I still try to be on time. My appointments are lonely dogs and cats--they don't understand tardiness (nor should they have to).
Lisa--We've got the same problem. Now if the world can only bend to my desires...
e--I agree, breaks can be wonderful. I've just been breaking for waaayyyy to long.
Juanita--Haha! My little one isn't old enough to complain about my erratic driving yet. But I did get honked at today--I don't even know what I was thinking about.
Gina--It is hard. I wish I could give you my time. Because I have time to write, I'm just trying not to. But it might be a losing battle.
Tirzah--That makes me feel soooo much better.
I haven't taken an extended break from writing in a really long time...but I take short breaks frequently...a day or two, sometimes a week. Usually after finishing a big project. I find this helps me from getting burned out...which would be a tragedy!
Sometimes I need a break, but not much of one. I find myself composing in my head and if I don't get it down I think I might explode.
Isn't it funny how you want nothing more than to just finish your WIP, but as soon as you finish it you're twiddling your thumbs and bored to death?
Samantha
3r09Writing Through College
Nodding my head in agreement with Angela Cothran.
I take weekend breaks often when I have family filled events, but even then I am probably typing story ideas or character info into my phone. I get antsy & irritable when I can't write
Yes! That's how I feel, too. I don't normally plan my stories but the one I want to dive into with NaNo won't go away and I've gotten really far with the movie-reel in my head. I can't! I have to discover the story as I write! If not, it'll fizzle, I know it. Hoping to get some writing time this weekend...
My physical writing breaks are involuntary - job, family, commitments, all occasionally push my writing time to nil. And when it happens, it happens. Life is what we all write about, what I draw from and when it's happening, I'm taking notes. A lot of my writing happens in my head before I sit down at a keyboard anyway.
I have a schedule I follow, one that keeps me sane. If I let myself 'go', I have trouble sleeping at night, get migraines, and don't produce nearly the quality I want.
You posed a real problem that faces all writers, I believe.
I take too many breaks from writing, which is one more reason I'm doing my first NaNoWriMo this year.
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