Motivation Monday: Relax
Writing is a lot of things; cathartic, exhilarating, creative, and well… work. Sometimes scenes just flow out of my fingertips, other times, not so much. When you’re in the zone, hours can pass by and pages fill up. When you’re forcing the zone, it hurts your brain. I’ve done it a bunch of times. I push through a scene I’m not feeling to get to a better scene. Sometimes it’s a necessary scene and I’m just not in the mood, but I want to get closer to the end.
You need to know yourself and your workflow. Sometimes I push a scene, only to cut it during the editing stage. Other times I push a scene, then punch it up in the editing phase. Then, there’s the third option: I relax and take a break.
It’s not even about writer’s block, but just being burnt out. It’s okay to allow yourself time for your energy bar to refill. You don’t have to always be productive. And honestly, when you’re burnt out, the more you push through, the more burnt out you’ll become. Give your creative juices a rest. You just have to be careful how long that break is. I’ve gone years without writing.
That was not a break. That was not refilling my energy bar. That was me, figuring out life as a new mom, and being completely absorbed by it. I don’t beat myself up about it. Believe it or not, there are more important things in life than becoming a best-selling author. My kids are one of those things.
So take a break if you need it. Recharge your batteries, but notice when your break starts to become too long. If it’s because of life, well, there’s not much you can do. But if your break is because you’re procrastinating, it’s time to whip out the keyboard and get back to work.
