Let’s face it, writing can get tedious and frustrating sometimes. I don’t know about you but there’ve been times when I just want to throw a shoe at the computer.
Now I may be tossing that pretty sling back pump because the computer is buffering, the muse has abandoned me, or perhaps because I needed to stretch. There are moments when you just need to take a break.
Someone much wiser that me once said–Don’t take life so seriously…It’s only a temporary situation!”
It’s so true…everything, including life itself, is fleeting. Sometimes I just need to let my crazy brain go where it wants to go. So, remember you don’t need an excuse to take a break because you have Ten and a Half reasons right at your fingertips. Take a look…
1. Hellllllloooo….Can you hear that? It’s the toilet. It wants to be scrubbed. That is not something a good writer puts off. No. No. No. When the call to clean is heard then everything else is to be dropped immediately to deal with it and may while you’re at it you might as well throw in a load of laundry.
2. The muse has fled. Where did the little devil go? Sometimes the only way I can possibly get him back is to stare out the window.
Now I’m talking staring–not just a slight glance. In this situation you must become one with whatever is out there…The muse may not return but you’ll have studied something closely and that is enough reason to celebrate.
3. Need a break? Tweet your Tweeps. Say that ten times fast–I dare ya.
Remember to set a timer or lose the day.
4. Drag your butt from the chair and over to your TBR (to be read) pile of books. Stroke the covers lovingly and put them in alphabetic order.
5. Break from work by researching the area in which it takes place. If it’s real world then google the town, the people, the scandals of yore. If its fantasy or world building, go find some cool names, colors, and rock types to inspire you. Make some notes but remember you’re on a break so use crayon or sharpie.
6. Dig out your smart phone and allow it to actually update. Quick and easy. Maybe grab a peppermint tea while those ignored downloads are doing their thing.
7. I don’t know about you but sometimes I simply need to get away. One good way to do this without losing all my focus is to take my main character for a walk around the block. I’ll ask them how their day is going? How they feel about the current scene they’re in? Am I doing them justice? Am I missing something? This often resets my brain and allows me to return to work fresh and ready to see the scene in a new light.
8. Vacuum all the crumbs out of your keyboard. There’s enough chip droppings in there that progress is being hampered. Then move on to #9.
9. If you’re going to do #8 then you may as well get some nice screen cleaner and give your screens a nice wipe. This is so necessary and yet we don’t do it often enough. Ahhh~~screen love.
10. One sure fire way to break away from a negative experience at your desk is to go write elsewhere. Pay attention to your emotional state. Are you anxious? relieved? empty? Put those feelings into real words and write them down. Once they’re on paper you can choose to throw them out and thereby ousting them from the day or you can absorb the emotion and pour it into your writing.
10.5. Eat half…yes…just half of a chocolate bar! No more. No less. yup just half…imagine! Who eats half a bar?
Like the idea of setting a timer for Twitter! My house is always telling me it wants cleaning when I sit to write. Great post!
Hi Claudia. Thanks for the kind words. Timers are great. I’ll even set one for ten minutes to do the kitchen cleanup…if it can’t be done in ten minutes I need a maid! lol…Have a great day and thanks for taking the time to comment. Very much appreciated.
I’m inspired 🙂
Ah Thanks Norma!