Why I'm on a novel-writing fast: the benefits of a little creative deprivation.
Most writing teachers will tell you to take a break from your work after the first draft. There are good reasons.
Hello, friends! I changed the name here after taking stock of what I truly write about and what motivates me to connect with you. I think The Resilient Creative better encapsulates the writing explorations, creativity prompts, philosophy, and meditations.
We must be resilient to live a creative life, after all, yeah? And to be authentic at a time when authenticity can feel downright dangerous or pointless takes courage. So thank you for being here. And I hope that this blog will support and reinforce your ability to create as honestly and relentlessly as possible. All that said …
I am on a break from my novel.
I call it a fast here because it feels like it. Once, a long time ago, I tried to give up sugar. The resulting inner (and external) drama was unprecedented in my life. I remember pacing, wondering if my body could take it, Googling articles about how women need more glucose to maintain proper brain chemistry, and I thought I’d surely die.
After amassing enough (incredible) rationalization, I broke down and bought a caramel macchiato. How long did I last? About 36 hours. Oddly, I’m quite disciplined in other aspects of my life. I am not a drug user. I drink a glass of wine and am content to leave it at that (and have been since my twenties). But sugar has a certain grip on me. So does this particular novel.
Even though taking a break from my WIP feels about the same as that drama-filled mistake of trying to give up sugar, there is no denying that taking a break from both sugar and our WIPs offer great benefits to our health, wellness, and creative output.
Today, I won’t waver. I will not so much as look at this novel because I know the value of this break. The human mind needs breaks, and without them, our creative energy begins to hiss and sputter. Our output suffers, and sometimes we can even destroy an otherwise promising work.
"It's precisely those who are busiest who most need to give themselves a break.” — Pico Iyer, The Art of Stillness
When we hit mild obsession or complete a draft, creative resets are invaluable. It has been proven that focusing for extended periods can lead to burnout and decreased effectiveness, including creative work, which means breaks are part of a healthy creative process.
Along with basic self-care, creative distance can help us to see our project clearly and find sustained momentum.
But how do we put the manuscript in the drawer (so to speak) when all we want to do is finish it? To think, that is, about how to make it more compelling or precise, to wonder how our main character might not yet have fully developed, to explore the vividness of tense scenes, to analyze our ability to render clear, clean sentences, to double-check our research, and so much more.
The novel is all-consuming. So what do we do with the time off? I’m sure you can find better lists than what’s below, but here’s what I’m doing.
Substacking. I’m here. This newsletter/blog is not the same as writing my novel. It’s a completely different headspace because I can do this with you in mind, even though I only know who a few of you are. Whether you comment or not, I consider this a conversation with friends, and my genuine hope is you receive my words in this way. My novel, meanwhile, is an ongoing project that will take months or years before I can realistically think about who is reading it. It is a conversation with myself (and, perhaps, a few ghosts).
Bob Ross painting class. I just signed up for another Bob Ross painting class, and I can honestly say that it’s tough to focus on anything but painting while you take these classes. (Yes, if you’re not in the know, people can get Bob Ross Certified to teach his techniques, and it’s amazing.)
Walking. Despite the oppressive heat around here lately, I walk at least 4-5 miles a day, which helps clear my head and make up for the insane number of hours I’ve spent on my computer these last months.
Reading. I am reading a few books right now, including Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and it’s total bliss. When the novel creeps to mind, or I think, “Wow, this makes me realize how lazy I was with scenic detail in Chapter 2,” I jot a note to my future self, and I get back to the book.
Meditating. Meditation always makes me feel cleansed in a way. The novel comes up here, too, but returning to the breath is a neat trick.
Celebrating. Okay, so I’m not good at this one, but I’m trying.
Redesigning my website. Boring, but I did it.
Reminding myself why I’m doing this. I will have a better view of my work with this distance, and the reacquaintance with my novel will be a joy. It will be worth it. Besides, these breaks are a part of nourishing a creative’s ability to flow when writing.
"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." —Anne Lamott
If you have found what works for you when in this liminal space between drafts, or when you need a break from a project, I’d love to know what you do, especially if you’re good at celebrating these moments.
In the meantime, maybe I’ll go on another walk.
I take too many breaks. Walking the perimeter of the prairie at least once, sometimes twice a day. Untangling cucumber vines and zucchini plants in search of more veggies to add to the growing hill of produce on the kitchen counter. Reading my tenth epic fantasy novel so far this year. Trying to make sense of an Italian news broadcast. Sketching an urban scene. Working out the design of a mission-style side table. Making it.
It's a mystery how I get any writing done at all.
Love the Lamott quote. Taking breaks is hard for me, but I'm going to try to follow your example once I've finished drafting my WIP. Thanks, Jen.