Wednesday, April 06, 2016

IWSG--When to Take a Break


It's time again for the monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group post. You can learn more about the IWSG on this site, and the co-hosts this month are listed below:

 Megan Morgan
Christopher D. Votey
Viola Fury
Christine Rains
Madeline Mora-Summonte

L.G. Keltner
Patricia Lynne

Rachna Chhabria 



Sometimes there are points in a project where I feel I have to force myself to put words down. Maybe I'm not sure what to write next, or maybe there are issues with the story contributing to writer's block. There's nothing wrong with taking a break to clear your head or even switching to another project for a while. Just make sure the break doesn't go on too long. Still, there have been short stories of mine that took several drafts with long breaks in between before I got them right. In fact, I do have a couple of stories that have been simmering on the back burner. It's hard to find the time to work on them when I have so many other projects that are important too. I hope that when I finish drafting the Season Avatars series, I can finish up some short stories before tackling my next long work.

Do long breaks from your work recharge your batteries or cause you to lose momentum? Feel free to share in the comments.

7 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I tend to plow through each project until it's done, but then there's a long wait in between those. Sometimes too long. Good thing I never wanted a writing career!

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

I need a break from projects between drafts so I can revise them effectively, but I don't need to wait for projects. Every author is different.

PT Dilloway said...

A break every now and then is good but I can't go too long without getting antsy.

Christine Rains said...

Oh yes! A small break does help clear my head and makes me eager to get to work again. :)

James Pailly said...

Some of my best writing comes to me when I'm "taking a break." I think creativity requires your brain to relax from time to time.

emaginette said...

Yes, especially after NaNoWriMo.

Anna from elements of emaginette

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Pat, I normally don't take a long break from writing altogether; I just take breaks from certain projects.

Christine, James, and emaginette, I agree.

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