Welcome to Journey of a Novel Day 2!
I started my novel on Friday, and then didn’t write — or even think about it much — at all.
I decided to “take weekends off” because I noticed that’s what John Steinbeck did in Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters. He would occasionally write something over the weekend, but most of the time he would write Monday through Friday.
I’ve learned that taking time off from writing has several benefits for me.
Helps Prevent the Dreaded Burnout.
Burnout is defined as “extreme tiredness or mental or physical illness caused by working too hard or trying to do too much” (Cambridge Dictionary).
Writing constantly without breaks is a sure-fire way to “burn out” on writing. Especially if you’re working on a big writing project — like writing a novel — trying to do too much at once will exhaust you.
So take regular breaks.
Take the weekends off from writing. Or, only write over the weekends when you’re off from your regular job.
By not trying to do too much, I protect myself against feeling “burnt out” from writing.
Keeps the Ideas Growing.
When I’m trying to think of ideas for my writing, that seems to be my very worst moment for coming up with ideas. It’s like my brain just goes blank and refuses to cooperate.
Super frustrating!
But, I’ve learned that taking time off actually gives my brain time to let various ideas “simmer” in the background. Some of these ideas I didn’t even know I had!
Taking time off allows your brain to access the ideas growing quietly in the corners of your mind.
Treats Writing Like an Actual Job.
When I take time off from writing, I’m treating it like a job. But not in a bad way.
I take my job seriously. It’s how I help put food on the table and a roof over my family’s head. For me to do my job well (and get paid), I need to show up when I’m supposed to be there. I also need to have regular days off so I can “rest up” to do my job well.
When it’s time to write, you have to take it seriously and “show up.” If writing gets treated like a hobby, then it only gets done when we have time or if we “feel like it.” But if it’s like a job, we show up and do the work.
And that’s what writing a novel requires.
