To write or not to write?
Sometimes it can be hard to know when to take a break and when to push through. There are so many things in life (or internally) that can get in the way of our writing. We want to give ourselves grace and forgiveness. Especially as moms, we have to keep realistic expectations of ourselves—burnout is a real danger! But the opposite is also true. Life is always busy, after all. If we never make time to write, how can we call ourselves writers?
So, how do we know what’s a good reason to put our pen down (or pick it back up)? How do we know the difference between that and a poor excuse just dragging us down? To clear this up, let’s look at some examples of very good reasons to write or not to write.
Valid Reasons to Take a Break
There are times when you really do need to let yourself set the WIP aside… for a day, a week, or even a month. The real world, and your own well being, do need your attention.
- I haven’t had enough caffeine to do the thing.
- Someone needs my help.
- I deserve a break. It’s called self-care.
- Something big and exciting is happening.
- I need some time to think about what should come next.
- I can’t eat my food while I type.
- I’m working. I have to do my job.
- Something really traumatic happened in my life, and I need to process.
When to Make Writing a Priority Again. Period.
Conversely, it can be tempting to put everything ahead of our writing. I mean, there will always be laundry to do, dishes to wash, and dinner to make. Sometimes, you just need to give your household and your life a firm NOT RIGHT NOW. Because your writing is important too. Here’s some examples of those reasons:
- I haven’t had enough caffeine to do the other things anyway.
- Someone out there needs my help.
- I deserve a break. It’s called self-care.
- Something big and exciting is happening.
- I need some time to think about what should come next.
- I may as well eat my food while I type.
- I’m working. This is my job.
- Something really traumatic happened in my life, and I need to process.
Hope that cleared up when to write or not.
Ok, ok, you caught me. Yes, you read all of that right. That’s my little joke for the day, teehee!
Well, it is meant to be funny, but it’s all really true, isn’t it? This is exactly why it can be so hard to tell the difference between when we’re making excuses for ourselves and when we’re pushing harder than we ought to. There really are times when we need to force ourselves to work on our stories when it’s hard. There are also times when we really do need to set it aside. The problem is those times can be nearly identical.
So, am I supposed to write or not?
Sorry. This is something we all struggle with.
All I can tell you is that, whether you decide to take a break or decide you need to push, commit and limit. When it feels like it’s been too long of a break, make a stand—put your foot down and take that part of your life back. When you know you’re overwhelmed and something has to give, give yourself permission. But consider concrete ideas of what qualifies as a break (or the opposite) and a good reason (or the opposite), as well as what counts as too long, during the times that you feel healthy and clearheaded enough to properly gauge your needs.
Then when that question pops up again—to write or not to write—you’ll have a prepared answer.
About the Writer: Kathryn Tamburri (@KathrynTamburriAuthor) writes clean YA epic fantasy novels which seethe with slow-burn romance. You can find more of her writing tips on The Devo Blog at KathrynTamburri.com, and learn from her publishing journey by subscribing to her fun author newsletter!