It's OK to Take a Break

It doesn't matter how easy people think it is to craft a story or how many celebrities write books, writing stories is hard. Before I became a writer I thought you just write the story you have in your head, but it takes so much more than that. Writers craft worlds that include people, places, and scenarios. People are complicated, places need descriptions that are engaging and scenarios have to be exciting. Include grammar and structure and writing a story is a complicated, wonderful job.

Whether we do it part-time or full-time, we love every minute of what we do. We are constantly thinking of new stories to put out into the universe. Some we write down and others we just let roll around in our head. But sometimes we need a break

Taking a break does not mean you are blocked or can't write anymore. It just means you need to let your brain rest. Taking a rest is good for you and for your characters. The problem is many of us believe we should always be writing and if we are not we are a failure. But that is not how our brains work. Almost every job has vacation built into its structure. That's because burnout is real and no human can work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Now, if you are able to write all the time without breaks, good for you. But if you need to step back for whatever reason you should totally do so. And it doesn't matter if the break is to clear your mind for a day or two or a few months. It does not make you less of a writer, it does not make you a failure and it does not mean you will never go back to your writing.

A break is just that. A break.