Elana Johnson has a post today on Query Tracker that I'm listing as Required Reading.Her advice is: "Give yourself permission NOT to write."
Tricky, unusual, you'll have to read the article to see what Elana did with this advice and how it worked. For myself, I give myself one day off a week. Usually it's Sunday, for a variety of reasons. But I have had other times where I give myself a holiday for writing.
What about you? Do you ever take a day off? Does it work for you, or do you wind up thinking about your work? How do you define the limits of writing, is it just writing, or are editing, reading, and research part of the job too?
I write on an on again, off again basis, when I write. I normally clock in daily when I'm really into it (for about a month) with the odd day off when I've literally got too many other things to do and don't have the time to sit down on the computer.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm editing it's a bit more hit and miss. I aim for about 4 - 5 chapters a week and I examine them in many different orders to ensure that I look at the chapters in different ways.
At the moment I'm sick, and that's forced me to take over a week off. That's the longest I've taken off since I started writing again.
Yes. I take breaks, short breaks, after I've finished a first draft. Or if I'm stuck plotting. B/c creativity can't be forced. And sometimes my brain needs a break. :)
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