A Scheduled Writer’s Break

It is very hard not to become discouraged if the rejections start rolling in and it looks like the book you have worked on for a long time and given up a major part of your life for is not going to be published. After a few rounds of this, you begin to ask yourself what is the point? Why should you sacrifice time spent from your family and doing other things you like on a hobby that might not end up even being financially viable for you? I would guess it is because, like for most writers, writing is as necessary as breathing.

What should you do when you have become discouraged and the thought of giving up on writing is too depressing to even contemplate? You can become impervious to the rejections or you can take a self-imposed guilt-free break.

Walk away from the writing. Temporarily. Make the commitment to return at a later, specified date, keeping in mind that the break is not permanent. A break is more than a few days or even a few weeks. Take a break for at least two months or longer and do other things. Go on vacation. Join a bowling league. Or doing something that is creative: learn how to cook, bake, knit or paint, that way you are still in the creative loop. But most of all: read and read a lot.

During this self-imposed break, remember that you do plan to return to writing. In fact, leaf ahead a few months on your calendar and at random, pick a date and circle it, knowing that this is the day you will return.

When you end up rejected, dejected and depressed, step away, but never give up.