Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Recharging the Batteries

These past few days I've been recharging my writing batteries. We've had such nice weather that I couldn't stand the thought of being inside all day. Besides, I've been in my hermit mode since, well, probably December. But over the weekend, I wasn't at home much. Yesterday I ended up raking leaves on the front lawn and playing "I Spy" with my daughter on the front porch. The sun was almost hot and there was a slight breeze - it was perfect.

I've felt a twinge of guilt over not writing, but just a twinge. Why? Because I can feel the joy and anticipation start to build inside me. I can't wait to get back to the novel. I can't wait to dive into my characters' lives again. Instead of feeling a bit of reluctance to get back to work, I am excited - and I attribute that excitement to me taking a break.

In my opinion, we all need to step back from the computer or the notebook once in awhile and "recharge" ourselves. If we don't, our writing goes stale and we can get burned out. Even a few days can make a lot of difference sometimes.

10 comments:

  1. Hey, I've been recharging, too, and my muse is loving it. :D Sometimes you've just gotta shake it all off and start fresh.

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  2. Besides, this is "Casino Royale" week when we should be putting are minds to the contemplation of Daniel Craig. We watched it last night except I kept falling asleep. But I did wakeup everytime he took his shirt off.

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  3. I need a recharge. I figure at the end of the month I'll give myself a week off. Actually I guess that'll be spring break and me and the kids can have some fun together :)

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  4. Oh I agree with you 100%! We definitely need to get away from the writing, decompress, have a little fun, get some sunshine, etc, etc.

    I'm going to my parents this weekend - that's my time to step away from the computer. I have family and friends to visit and the weather is supposed to be HOT. So that'll be nice.

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  5. I couldn't agree more. I can't wait to get back into it after this week off with family. Enjoy your break!

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  6. Good for you, Melissa. Enjoy the moments and don't that guilt take away your pleasure!

    I recharged tonight by heading to the movie theatre. Now I'm inspired!

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  7. Julia Cameron refers to this as "refilling the well" in The Artist's Way. Definitely VERY important. You shouldn't have felt guilty at all.

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  8. I was so restless for the first half of the week because of the weather. Although my restlessness occured during work hours. Nothing like being trapped in the pod with the sun shining outdoors to make a girl claustrophobic.

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  9. Good for you, Melissa! Enjoy the break.

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  10. Oh yes, I'm a firm believer in stepping away and letting the story rest - I always feel more energized when I go back to it.

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