I thought I’d have this post as a bit of an update post as I seem to have been missing in action for some time. It feels that way to me at least. Other than guest posts, I’ve really struggled to get myself motivated to sit down and blog. It just seemed that step too far for me. It wasn’t that I was in complete meltdown or anything. I had enough energy to work, and work hard, as we’ve been really stretched recently. I’ve then managed to come home and work on the revisions for my manuscript. After that, the battery ran out of power and I wasn’t capable of anything else.
Today is the last day of three days leave I’ve taken from work. This is following a weekend off, so all in all, I’ve had five days off and I’ve managed to recover a little energy back and some motivation to blog and catch up with everyone. It has been really great. I’ve had lie-ins in the mornings and worked on the revisions from my bed with a cup of tea by my side. I’ve had relaxed days working at my own pace. Writing, blogging, having a break in front of the TV, and reading whenever a change was needed. It has been wonderful. I would absolutely love to be able to be a full time writer. Having the time and space to do it at a pace and location that is good for me, has proved productive and I have more than enjoyed it. I love the day job, but I’ve also loved being able to do this. Doing both together is hard work!
Anyway, the revisions are coming on great. I’ve been swinging between optimism and despair for a few weeks, thinking I can do it, then wondering why on Earth I thought I could do it! I’m rubbish, hopeless and also delusional if I think anyone would want to read this. But – this week, it feels like it’s changing. I can feel the book again. Really feel it. The characters are back in my head and working with me. Having been out on query for while, I had felt distanced and this had proved problematic when attempting to revise, but now I feel comfortable and in a place where I know what needs to be done and more importantly, feel that I can actually do it. Knowing what needs to be done is great, now I just need to find out if I do in fact have it in me, to put what’s in my head, down onto the screen.
Ask me again next week if I feel as optimistic and you may get a different answer!
If you write, do you need to be close to your work, or do you find the break does you good?
Margot Kinberg says
Rebecca – I know exactly what you mean about needing to re-charge once in a while and I’m glad you’ve taken the time to do that. It’s also very good to hear your manuscript revisions and writing are going well. When one can really feel what one’s writing and be enthusiastic about it, it’s a lot more likely that readers will, so I’m glad to hear you’re excited about your writing again. As to being close to my work vs taking a break? I like to really plunge into what I’m writing when I can. Like you I have a ‘day job’ so my life doesn’t allow for much of that at the moment. But when I can, I like to live in my stories.
Rebecca Bradley says
Those pesky day jobs really get in the way don’t they!
Alex J. Cavanaugh says
Rebecca, if you’ve been making progress, then that’s all that matters! Hope you are just as excited next week.
Rebecca Bradley says
It all seems to be ramping up Alex as you’ve seen in my latest post. I think I’m booking myself in for a meltdown in December. π
Julie Flanders says
I know what you mean about blogging, I haven’t had much energy or motivation for it lately. But I’m glad you were able to take some time off and re-charge, and it’s great news that you are feeling hopeful about your book again. I’ve no doubt it is excellent!! Good luck with the revisions! π
Rebecca Bradley says
Thanks Julie. I hope your energy and motivation return to you also.
Annalisa Crawford says
It sounds like you’ve had the perfect week. I’ve never actually worked in bed, but that’s an idea I’m definitely going to copy π
Rebecca Bradley says
It’s worth it Annalisa. You’re resting and being productive, it’s great! π
Elle Turner says
Glad the revisions are coming on well, Rebecca. I definitely think taking a break is a good thing to do – after a break sometimes something I have been going round in circles on seems a lot clearer and takes less time to sort out (writing and otherwise too!) x
Rebecca Bradley says
The break definitely seems to have done me good, I seem more motivated than I’ve been in a long while.
Jane Isaac says
Hi Rebecca!
So glad to hear that you’ve been working on your script. I know exactly what you mean when you say ‘swinging between optimism and despair’. I’m chopping and changing at the moment, as I review mine and sometimes you loose that sense of a complete story. It sounds like you’ve reached the light at the end of the tunnel now. Good for you. Can’t wait to read it:)
Rebecca Bradley says
I think the despair comes with the territory doesn’t it. Which is a shame as it’s a hard emotion to deal with. I hope the optimism is paying you more visits than the despair at the minute x
Misha says
I always take breaks from a story before I rewrite, revise or edit. π
Rebecca Bradley says
I know it’s supposed to be a good idea, but I could never get my head around walking away from it. Having it forced upon me by going out on submission has shown me it’s true though. Next time, I will have to skip the submission step while having that break though!
Joanna (Lazuli Portals Trilogy) says
So glad you were able to restore some personal and creative balance during that week, Rebecca. We’ve discussed that before, I know! I hope NaNo has not meant you’ve been tearing your hair out. π
I recently took quite a break from our WIP as I was waiting for my co-author to catch up with reading and editing. In the meantime I was writing short stories, flash fiction, our blog, etc. I was a little concerned about getting back into the novel. What if I’d lost the feel of it? The threads? The enthusiasm? What if a 100K word novel now felt beyond my reach, even with 76K written? But I’m now re-reading it – and enjoying it as much as the first time. π And as I’m a pantser, I’m really eagerly anticipating finding out where we go from here! π
So, if a break is needed (for whatever reason) I think it can be helpful. I definitely won’t be frightened of doing it again! Writing is something I could never stop doing – but it still has to fit into the life I have, and the challenges and timings that are outside of my control. π
Trust your intuition and go with the flow. π