I missed a couple of these while I was bogged down with life-stuff (see my previous post) and I'm afraid I didn't get time to hop around and read many blogs, either :-(
Thanks, as always, to Alex J Cavanaugh and those who assist him each month so that the rest of us can have a moan or offer words of comfort and encouragement.
I don't know whether I can be bothered to feel insecure this month. I haven't written anything since the end of January, although I did tweak and re-submit a short story this week. I think it will probably ping back to me, but as the editor said, it's always worth another try!
A break from writing has been very refreshing. I feel detached rather than agonisingly stressed about it and have realised that it isn't the be-all-and-end-all it had become. I really hope this feeling stays with me and I don't become consumed by the need to write and frustrated by the lack of time.
To anyone who is reading this and feeling that writing is no longer exactly a pleasure, I would like to say I know exactly how you feel. I was forced into not being able to write by circumstances, but am feeling that it was basically A GOOD THING and that a break doesn't mean you will lose your ability to write or never write again.
Happy first Wednesday of the month to you!
8 comments:
We all need breaks sometime. I took a three year break when I was getting married and having my first child. Getting back to it was the most wonderful thing in the world... apart from being married and having a new baby, obviously, ahem!!
If writing had stopped being a pleasure then you were right to take a break. Hope you come back to writing and more importantly to enjoying it, when you're ready.
I've been struggling with writing and beating myself up because I didn't write what I wanted to in May. This was a great post for me to read today!
Writing is always a pleasure, but the other stuff annoys me. But I have long dry spells between writing spurts and I've just come to appreciate being able to do it when I find the time.
For me, writing has always been a pleasure, it's the publishing side of things that stick in my side like thorns. I do take breaks, I sometimes schedule them in, and sometimes I have "life moments" that keep writing at bay. I find that I resent when I get stuffed into the not writing by circumstances rather than scheduling, so it galls me and I can't wait to get started again. But when I take a break, I try to do a grand job of it--no writing, no blogging, no crit groups, nada. I find those very helpful.
I love that you can't be bothered to be insecure. I've not been bothered to be angry before that felt defeatist. You are definitely cooler.
Glad it's all coming together for you again. Are you still working on your novel?
I felt exactly the same last year, and a 6 month break was exactly what i needed :)
We tend to beat ourselves up to much don't we, when we're not writing..so good for you honey! Chill, and enjoy the non writing time in your life :)
xx
I felt exactly the same last year, and a 6 month break was exactly what i needed :)
We tend to beat ourselves up to much don't we, when we're not writing..so good for you honey! Chill, and enjoy the non writing time in your life :)
xx
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