Lake Michigan in the winter
Don’t you hate it when the batteries go dead on devices you rely on like cell phones and laptops and tablets? But when we use them incessantly without taking time to plug them in, they eventually run down and stop working. After a year of hard work, I just completed another novel, and I have to admit that my creative batteries are dead. Totally dry. Used up. It’s time to take a break from writing (even if it’s a very short one) and recharge my batteries. How will I do it? I think everyone has to discover the best way they personally recharge, but here’s what works for me.
View out my back window
Reading – Of course I’m always reading. But as I race toward the finish line on my manuscript, I put in such
long days at the computer that I don’t have time to read for pleasure. I feel like I’m all out of words! I’ve used them all up! It’s time to fill my head and heart with lots of new ones. I’m heading to the library and the bookstore for piles and piles of books so I can gorge myself on them. I’ll know I’ve reached my fill when words of my own start playing in my head again.
Biking through the beauty of Sanibel Island
Beauty – God’s creation is all around me if I take time to look, but when I’m under deadline, stopping to smell the roses just doesn’t happen. My world shrinks to two rooms—office and bedroom. I need to expand my world again and take time to notice the beautiful things all around me. Thankfully, I was blessed to enjoy my recharging session on gorgeous Sanibel Island in Florida last week. I enjoyed daily walks on shell-strewn beaches and bike rides through the island’s wildlife sanctuary. It doesn’t get much better than that! Now that I’m home, I’m noticing the snow-covered beauty of Michigan, and I’m ready to describe the beauty of God’s creation in my writing again.
Enjoying Florida with friends
Friends – Writing is a very solitary job. Sometimes it seems like the only people I talk to are my imaginary characters. To recharge, I need to spend quality time relaxing with real people—especially my friends and family. My husband and I were fortunate to have two of our dearest friends joining us on Sanibel. With plenty of feasting and laughter and bike rides, I came home filled to overflowing, and ready to write about the relationships that are so important in all our lives.
Recharging with Jane Rubietta’s newest book
Quiet Time With God – Even though I have a regular morning devotional time, it often feels rushed when I’m under deadline. When I’m recharging, it’s wonderful to be able to spend time just relaxing and reading the Bible, along with devotional books from my favorite Christian authors. It’s wonderful to take time to enjoy fellowship with God the way I’ve enjoyed being with my friends in Florida. And I know that the spiritual wisdom from my fellow Christian writers will give me new thoughts and ideas to write about when I’m ready to return to the computer.
Unlike the Energizer bunny, we can’t keep going . . . and going . . . and going . . . What recharges your batteries? How about scheduling a break, even a small one, to power-up for the work God has given each of us to do?
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I loved the biking picture. It looks like one of the rails to trails paths. We biked the Chief Ladiga trail into the Silver Comet. Twenty miles one day and twenty back the next day. So much fun!
This trail is on Sanibel Island in Florida. But where is the Chief Ladiga trail? It sounds like FUN!
Chief Ladiga rails to trails starts in Anniston, Alabama. It connects to the Silver Comet that ends in Atlanta, Georgia. We rode 20 miles through some of the most beautiful scenery, spent the night in a motel and then rode back 20 miles to where we started in Anniston. Took a couple of spills which made me sore the next day but it was so much fun. Hope to do it again someday if my knees will allow it.
Wow! Thanks, Gail. I’ll put this on my “bucket list” of bike trails.
Like you, I always feel completely drained creatively when I turn in a novel. So many of the things you mention are the same things that help me recharge. It’s so helpful for me to step away and do NO writing at all for a time. I prefer to take a whole month off in the summer so that I can rest and concentrate fully on my kids, trips, and extended family.
I love the idea of a month off in the summer. I think I’ll try that this year, especially now that we live on the beach!
Sometimes simply giving myself permission to write/research/outline at a much slower rate, not worrying about word counts or how fast I’m making progress, is enough to recharge. It allows me time to include those others things you mentioned, while also keeping me from fretting over the fact that I’m not writing/working at all. It’s true, I have not learned how to turn off the voice that says I should be producing words and more words every day. That is a skill I would very much like to learn.
Me, too! I do feel guilty when I’m not writing, but I also know that if I write before I’m recharged, it comes out like drivel. I write in my journal, though–and sometimes my thoughts from those pages end up in my writing.
Every morning my private devotions and prayer help me to feel refreshed and ready to start the day. Then these blogs help me to relax and enjoy being in the company of others who enjoy the same things as I do.
Shirley
What a great way to start your day, Shirley!
I can relate 100% but then I think every author will say so, no matter how long they’ve been behind the desk. I felt so cooped up last summer. I seriously think I went 2 months with only stepping outside to get in the car. 🙁 There is something refreshing about simply standing still outside. Summer, winter, night, day. I don’t think it matters. Just breathing in the fresh air clears your head and brings you back to life.
There doesn’t seem to be an “off” season for the writer. This isn’t like football. Lol I’ve learned the hard way that I need to schedule those breaks in, both daily and seasonally. There is always something to do and if I don’t make myself stop, I’ll run myself out.
Thanks for sharing your insight and reminding me that I’m not alone and I’m not as weird as I thought. 😉
You’re absolutely right about an author not having an “off” season. I never thought of it that way before. But we do need to stop and take a break from time to time. Being outside in the sunshine and fresh air recharges my batteries.
Loved this post and photos, Lynn. So glad you had a fun time at Sanibel – – sounds wonderful!
You’re very wise to take this time to recharge before diving into another writing project. I always remind myself
that even Jesus took some time away from the crowds during his time of ministering to others. 🙂
Quiet time with my Bible and devotional books, catnaps, and walking around outside in the fresh air recharge me. And of course having lunch with a dear friend always works wonders too. 😉
** I wanted to add that someone mentioned our Silver Comet Trail here in Georgia, and there are some lovely areas along it. This past Fall my middle daughter and son-in-law ran a full marathon along part of the Silver Comet, and I was able to visit several parts of the Trail that day (to cheer them on!). That was the first time I’d been on any of the Trail, and there were lots of folks riding bicycles. 🙂
P.S. Meant to add that I tried to visit this blog yesterday but was unable to access it. 🙁
SO glad the site was cooperating today! 🙂