Writing Is A Hike- Don't Be Afraid Of Breaks

Let's say you're taking a hike. You aren't a professional hiker (is that a thing? *shrugs* Well, now it is I guess XD) and this is only your first or second time actually hiking. Do you expect to speed through the entire hike without a single break? Or do you think you'll stop here and there to drink some water and rest, or at the very least, slow down a bit to catch your breath?

You wouldn't expect to make it through a long hike going, going, going nonstop, so why should you expect to speed through story after story, novel after novel, without ever taking a break from writing?

Taking a writing hiatus (be it short or a bit longer) can have so many benefits, and I don't just say this because I'm currently taking a writing hiatus (novel-writing, that is). 

1.) Replenish the Creative Juices

If you're just constantly writing, pumping out novel after novel, or short story after short story, or whatever it is that you prefer to write, you're using up a lot of creativity. You may not realize it, but you're drying out your well of inspiration. You're using up all of your good ideas and not giving yourself any time to restock your supply. 

So, take a break, go for a walk, visit with people, watch movies, read books. Just absorb the world around you. If you do this, I'm sure you'll start restocking the idea pantry, if you will. (My metaphors are just fantastic, aren't they? XD) 

2.) Revive Your Social Life

Yes, yes, many of us writers are introverts, and we quite enjoy our alone time. I mean, if we've been stuck in our writing cave for long enough, we may have even forgotten that the outside world exists. But hear me when I say that it has not ceased existing. It, in fact, is still crawling along without you, crazy as it may seem. 

And- please don't send an angry mob after me when I say this- it might be a good idea for you to, on occasion, revisit this constantly-moving world. Your friends, I'm sure, miss you. Your family probably wonders if they've lost you to the depths of the writing coves for good. So, go. The words will still be there when you return. 

3.) Attempt to Regain Sanity

I'll admit it. While slaving away in front of the computer, typing furiously, locked inside an ever-shrinking room, only venturing out to retrieve the occasional morsel of food, satisfy our body's need for water, and go to bathroom, it can be a teensy bit possible for us writers to begin to lose pieces of our sanity, little by little. 

A little fresh air, a few conversations, and several good books and movies later, though, our sanity has almost come back in its entirety. Yes, yes, that first conversation or so may be a little tough to get through, a little incomprehensible to say the least, but you won't regain anything if you don't practice a bit. Believe me when I say that immersing yourself in the real world is not only beneficial to those friends and family mentioned above in #2, but it's also beneficial to you. 

Alright! That's all I've got for this post. Bottom line: go take a break. Reward yourself for all your hard work. Now, what tips and reasons do you guys have for taking a writing a hiatus?

Introducing....

 

Alright dear readers, I am pleased to announce that today is the day you get to meet our new band of Bloggers!! We are very happy to add Alyssa, Ashlyn Peters, Remi and Ember to the Shadow Dwellers. It'll be great to work with them and we hope you enjoy 'hearing' what they have to say. :)

 

If you were any character from any book, who would you be?

If I were any character from any book I would most likely be Rudy Steiner from The Book Thief. A girl Rudy, if possible. I relate to his thought process and the way he reacts to things every time I read it. =P

If you could live in any book’s world, which would you choose?

Hmm... not a dystopian, that's for sure... probably one of Jane Austen's novels. I've always loved the idea of Regency-period England.

Favorite genre to write in?

I don't have a favorite genre to write in, but all of my ideas seem to evolve into some sort of Science Fiction.

Favorite writing snack?

Whatever is lying around. Haha. Does that work? *guiltily whispers* Usually some kind of chocolate.

Plotter? Pantser? Or Plantser?

Definitely a plotter. I write detailed outlines for EVERYTHING.

What is your favorite kind of character?

I like the smart ones. And the sweet ones. And the quiet ones. Rephrase that: I love the smart, sweet, quiet ones. Probably because their silence speaks to me and their sweetness and intelligence inspire me. =)

Favorite book?

My favorite book is Phoenix Rising by Karen Hesse

What do you want someone to think or say when they finish the last page of your novel?

My goal for when someone finishes my books is for them to understood on some deeper level. I try to make my characters the kind that speak to people, and I can only hope that I succeed in that. =)

-Alyssa

 

If you were any character from any book, who would you be?

Ooh wow that's tough. I'd probably be Celia Fincastle from the Celia's Journey series.

If you could live in any book’s world, which would you choose?

Harry Potter, hands down. That would be so cool!

Favorite genre to write in?

I've actually never written anything besides fantasy, so I suppose fantasy.

Favorite writing snack?

Goldfish EXTREME cheddar blasted

Plotter? Pantser? Or Plantser?

Plotter, definitely. I like to lay out my whole story and make points where a certain scene happens before I actually write something.

What is your favorite kind of character?

I really like those characters where you don't quite know whether they are good or bad. I think it's really interesting to see how the character develops as the story goes on.

Favorite book?

Handpicked, by Melissa Gunther

What do you want someone to think or say when they finish the last page of your novel?

"Wow, that was cool. I wish I was in this book."

-Remi

Ooooh... that's a hard one, if I were a character in any book, who would I be. Well, I think I'd be Ayla from The Ninan. She's strong and smart and deep and just all around awesome.

If I could live in a book world, I'd live in Middle-Earth. Hands down! Next question!

My favorite genre to write in... hmm... Probably Fantasy cause I love to create my own worlds and races.

My favorite writing snack is... *drum roll* Doritos! Amazing food.

I am a Panster all the way. Like, planning does not work for me... at all.

My favorite kind of characters are the closed off ones with tons and tons of layers. They're so much fun to write and read about because you want to help them. They're mysterious and since I'm nosy, I'm drawn to that cause I want to figure them out, get beneath their mask.

My favorite book, hands down, is Lord of the Rings! Followed by Narnia, Alex Rider, and the Mysterious Benedict Society!

I want someone to be crying when they read the last page of my novel, but I want them to be grinning through the tears. Because even though it has a sad ending, it was a fun journey, and things aren't always as they seem, also I promised a sequel.

-Ashlyn Peters

1. Lucy from chronicles of Narnia

2. Neverland from Peter Pan

3. Sci-fi or fantasy

4. Nutella and coffee

5. Pantser

6. The sarcastic protagonist, or the charmingly evil Antagonist

7. The Bible. But after that, Oi, uhhhh maybe......Peter pan? possibly. But then there's Narnia, and a Tale of Desparaux. Ugh, There's so manyyyy

8. At this point, they should be sobbing incoherently (hopefully at least) but after the initial shock has worn off I would hope they'd look back and think that it was beautiful.

-Ember