Breaks are a necessary part of life, something you can’t get around needing at least on occasion. But breaks when it comes to writing are hard, at least for me. When I’m at the height of my writing I can easily do more than 5000 words a day (though the usual number is between 2000-3000.) But even I need to take a load off sometimes, and that requires taking breaks.
The issue is that it’s hard to pick it back up again when I’ve let my words languish for long periods of time. It’s gotten easier with practice and developing a schedule, but it’s still hard to start up again. Going from a minimum of 2000 words to nothing is a bit of a blow to my ego, for one. For another, I’ve found that when I start writing again after taking a hiatus, I need to set reasonable goals to get to where I want to be.
What is reasonable, you ask? Well, I’m still trying to figure that out. Right now, I’ve been doing between 500-800 words every few days. Getting that part down, however, is easier said than done.
I suppose it makes sense my brain is refusing to work with me, considering how wildly stressful the last couple of years alone have been. Tacking on problems in my personal life that have been a thorn in my side for quite some time now, health issues, and so many other things that it’s a miracle that I get anything done at all.
What’s not helping is the lack of people who understand the effect that stress can have on productivity. I’ve lost more than one friend just last year because they couldn’t understand the stress I’ve been experiencing. That added stress, of people not understanding that sometimes, you can’t force it at all, isn’t helping and is even having the opposite effect. It’s put a lot of pressure on me to perform, and that’s not helping at all.
That’s not to say I’m getting nothing done. I’ve been generating ideas, mostly because ideas are cheap. It’s what you do with them that makes such a difference. Each one has been written down in my trusty notebook, waiting to see if I can dust it off and turn it into the diamond I know it’s meant to be. They’ll be there when I’m ready.
So, what am I doing right now? Well, I’m doing my best. I’m working on several things right now in fact, and I’m looking at finishing some short stories to release soon. It’s giving my brain a much-needed break from the intensity of novel writing, which takes a lot of time and energy to get done in any sort of realistic time frame. I will come back to the novels in time. With how sideways everything seems to be going, both in my life and in the world, I could use something less stressful to focus on.
At the end of the day, I have to put myself first. If that means taking a break, or switching projects, it’s a far better solution than self-destructing because I couldn’t meet an arbitrary, self-imposed goal. It’s normal to need time off or to switch things up. It’s not a moral failing if I miss a deadline or have to switch gears. I’m just as human as everyone else, after all, and that means that I too need to take it easy sometimes. Learning that I’m not any different from anyone else has been difficult, but it’s paid off in the quality of my work and better mental health. Isn’t that worth it in the end? I certainly think so.