I've decided to take somewhat of a writing haitus. I'm definitely not planning for this to be anything permament. I just had a hard time finishing the last book--not in the sense that it didn't go well, or I don't think I did it justice, or that I'm not proud of it, but in the sense that I didn't really enjoy it. I like the finished product a lot, actually. But getting there wasn't fun.
I do wonder if it's school doing this to me...we're doing a lot of analytical papers right now, formal writing and the like, and it really just isn't my thing. So I'm second-guessing myself all the time. Again, it's not the ideas themselves I'm questioning, it's the actual physical sentences. I'm wondering if my structure is all screwed up and I really never noticed. I'm wondering if I should be embarrased of the stuff I churn out.
And I also wonder if I'm making a mistake taking a break. Should I be trying to push through this? Would writing more and more help me get better or at least convince me that I'm good enough?
I don't know. What do you think? Is taking a break a healthy way of dealing with burn-out (or self doubt?) or does it make it impossible to gain that confidence back?
Friday, March 6, 2009
Pushing Through
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I think taking break is fine. I have periods when I don't write as much and periods when I write a lot. Maybe, if you're worried you won't get back to writing, you should set a time limit for this break. Another alternative might be working on a purely for fun project, something out there, something different from anything you've ever written that you think has no chance of publication. That way you can give yourself permission to suck while still getting to write.
If you're tired of writing, stop writing. Go outside. Read some favorite books. Watch some great movies. Remember why you love storytelling, remind yourself that it's not ALL about the nice neat sentences, and then go back to it when you love it again. :)
Post a Comment