30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 12 – it's OK to take a break
September 6 2023 marks 5 years since my first novel was released 😲
I’ve now published 6, and have 2 more under contract.
To celebrate, I’m sharing a new post about what I’ve learnt from being published EVERY DAY throughout the month. This post is part of that series!
Click here for the rest →
I know it might sound as though I’m contradicting myself with today’s post, as I know a few days ago I said that the best marketing you can do for your book is to write another book, but bear with me…
At some point in your book-writing career, you are going to need to take a break. It might not be a long one, it might only be a month or so, but at some point you will feel utterly burnt out and convinced you’ll never be able to write another word.
I know this is true because it’s happened to me several times now. And it has also happened to all of my writing friends at some point too.
In fact, right now, as of the time of writing, I am ‘on a break’ from my writing.
I’ve delivered two books this year - once under my pen name and one suspense. I’m currently waiting to hear back from my publishers on both of them. And normally, while I wait, this is the time I’d start writing something new (because you will find there are times when you’re waiting around for your publishers to get back to you on something, and it’s a good idea to make use of this dead time by at least starting to think about a new book).
But this time I’m not. This time, I’m focusing more on my web design business. I’ve been busy building my new DIY Author Website Course, and blogging more.
I have to say, a small part of me feels worried and guilty for having this ‘time off’. But in all honesty, I am creatively spent. Working on two books a year has been really tough for me, and I’m completely out of inspiration.
I could probably start writing something new today. I could force myself to sit down and come up with a concept and get through 2000 words a day until I had a terrible shitty first draft. But I know for a fact I wouldn’t enjoy it.
So I’m having a break.
And that’s OK.
I know it’s OK because I’ve done it before and the world didn’t end.
I guess it depends how you like to write but for me, I prefer to fully focus on a first draft and get the whole thing done as quickly as possible.
I am a massive fan of ‘batch working’ which basically means focusing on one thing at a time rather than jumping around all day doing small bits and pieces on lots of different tasks.
So when I write first drafts, I try to make it so that it’s ALL I’m doing. I find it much more efficient than being pulled in and out of a manuscript by other things.
For example, if I did start writing something new now, I know there’s no way I would have it finished before my structural edits on my new suspense come back from my publisher. And then I’d have to put that aside to get those done, and go back to the new book afterwards.
Being pulled in and out of focus like that is really bad for my productivity.
The opposite, however, makes me mega productive. I managed to write the entire first draft of The Wrong Mother in just six weeks by completely clearing my calendar.
If you’ve done Nanowrimo in the past, you’ll probably understand the concept.
I’m also a big believer in Parkinson’s Law: that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
Hence why I love a deadline. #onceajournalistalwaysajournalist
But I digress…
The last time I had a big break from writing was during covid. My daughter was at home rather than at school and I just couldn’t write with her in the house (she was only four at the time). I was in the middle of writing a new novel but I ended up abandoning it and never coming back to it.
I was convinced that my writing career was over, but once things settled back down slightly and she was back at school, I ended up writing two books in quick succession (one of which was The One That Got Away, which got me a US deal!).
I think this is possibly one of the most important things I’ve learnt from my writing career so far: that it’s OK to take a break. That you will find inspiration again at some point and pick up the laptop and start anew.
I have a friend who had four years off writing then came back and sold her new book all over the world.
The wonderful thing about writing is that no one cares how old you are. You can write at any point in your life and you can always come back to it. Once a writer, always a writer.
So if you’re feeling worn out, then cut yourself some slack and take some time off.
Go refill your creative well, and wait for the magic to return ✨
