I liked Amy's last post about taking time to reflect in the midst of the writing process, getting your bearings before barreling ahead to the end of your draft. I've been doing my own brand of reflection lately: the kind that comes when a draft is done (for the moment) and it's time to put it aside and take a break.
So what do I do during this break? It's time to read as much as possible. I've got a too-long list of books to read, and I'm always eager to hear suggestions, if you have any! I'm also eager to watch movies and television programs that might spark a little something in my imagination. I am contemplating another project, of which I have an intriguing opening (at least, it intrigues me) and an outline that's not quite working yet; it's suffering a murky middle. I need to read and watch and think a lot to help clear this problem up.
Taking a break is fun, rejuvenating. But I can get a little twitchy - why am I not writing? I've got SO MUCH to do, so little time to do it. I should get going, shouldn't I? But this non-writing time is part of the process, too. Best not to rush it.
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Ah! I feel so much less guilty now! Thank you Alisa! And I do have a suggestion for reading: I just finished Oryx and Crake and loved it. Margaret Atwood strikes again! I'm reading The Passage my Justin Cronin, which is pretty addictive. It's LOOOOOONG, though, so it's a pretty big commitment.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm not writing I feel like I'm wasting my time. The years fly by, and I have so much to do. Still, it is nice once in a while to slow down and look over what I'm writing. :)
ReplyDeleteI took a long break, in Aug and September, which is unusual for me. I guess I needed it, but then it was hard to get focused again. I'm doing Nano, which feels really good after such a long break.
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