Recently, I got back from traveling, and it’s been a tough adjustment to go back to my normal life. All of my half-finished projects are still here, and they’re still half-finished. (Gasp! They didn’t finish themselves while I was gone?!)
It sucks to feel burned out on a writing project, especially when you’re too stubborn to quit halfway through.
So I decided to take a break for a couple weeks and then dive back in with a different mindset. My goal was to give my brain a chance to reset and readjust, then tackle my novel from a different angle.
Here are 3 things I’ve learned from taking a break, and how it’s helped me become a better writer.
1: Consume New Stories
In today’s society, we consume too much media. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Tumblr… you name it. Everything is made to be consumed, and we’re spoon fed all sorts of stuff by the algorithm.
So when I decided to take a break from writing, I thought I should also take a break from consuming all this media.
However, there’s a huge difference between sitting down to enjoy a good movie and scrolling through Tik Toks for the same amount of time. When you focus on consuming stories, instead of consuming social media, you’ll get more benefits from it.
I’ve noticed that my attention span is starting to improve. I’m also learning new things about storytelling, because I’m watching more movies and TV shows instead of just watching tons of short videos with the same two audios.
Now, I feel a little more in touch with the business of storytelling. What works, what sells, and what falls flat to the audience?
Of course, I still struggle with social media use, and I haven’t been able to quit completely. But I’ve replaced some of that scrolling with watching movies, and I’m surprised how big of a difference it’s made in my writing life.
2: Don’t Even Think About It
Taking a break from writing won’t help if you spend the entire time thinking about your story.
You also need a mental break, too.
Don’t try to solve the plot holes, don’t worry about the plot lines or how to fix the story’s climax or anything about your story.
Of course, if you have an epiphany that shows you exactly how to fix your story, by all means write it down! But if you spend your energy chasing the solutions, they won’t come to you. You’ll get to the end of your break without feeling rested.
Instead of thinking about your story, dive into another hobby for a while. Learn a new craft or musical instrument. Put all the energy you have for your story into a completely different hobby, and see what happens.
3: When You Come Back, Brainstorm
When your brain has a chance to relax, it might not enjoy going back to work. I know my brain sure doesn’t enjoy the end of a nice break.
The way I discovered to get my brain working again is to start with a whole lot of brainstorming.
Make a list of all the plot holes or issues in your story, and then brainstorm solutions for one problem each day. This way, your brain starts thinking about your story again, without having to write anything.
Especially if you’re trying to fix plot holes or start a new draft of a novel, you’ll want to brainstorm ways to solve these issues. The best way to do this is to brainstorm before you get back into writing, and not after.
I’m in the brainstorming stage right now. I’ve finished my break, and I’m currently trying to solve a lot of plot holes and flat characters before I start writing again. So far, I’ve had a lot of success with this method, so hopefully it works for you too!
It’s a short post, I know, but thanks for reading anyway. I appreciate all the people who stop by to read my blog. In April, we’ll hit the four year anniversary of this blog, and I’m blown away by the amount of people who see my posts and interact with this site. You are all amazing and I’m so glad that something I have said can help you along your writing journey! <3
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for now. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time.
