How to Have a Guilt-Free Hiatus

I just got back from an awesome trip to NYC. The post I planned for today was originally going to be "Successful Travel Journaling Tips." But I didn't journal a single word on the trip. It was a true break and I don't even feel bad about it! I've tried to analyze how that all worked out so beautifully to help you plan for a guilt-free hiatus as well.

Everyone takes breaks differently. Some take a hard, cold break (planned or not). Others remain in and out through a busy season. And then there are those like me: stopping one thing to make time for another.

That's the special disease of multitasking for procrastination just to feel productive.

The ingredients in my own special blend of breaks are guilt and fear. Guilt comes because I have a good thing going and I'd feel bad doing something like making my readers wait longer, disappearing from my blog for a few weeks, spending time not getting something done, etc.

Fear comes in on things like worrying that I'll never want to come back if I stop, or that I'll forget what I'm doing, I'll lose the momentum I've built up.

You get the picture, and you probably have your own list of fill-in-the-blanks.

What I've realized is that fear and guilt go hand-in-hand with any project. That's just the way it is for me. So to finish a project, I have to get past all of that. Thus pausing only the project and still having the fears and guilt is not. a. break!

So let's hash out what my "fake breaks" look like real quick so there's a contrast for what I just experienced in NYC. Fake break:

• still working one aspect of the story (I was supposed to glean details about NYC for the setting of a new story and hopefully figure out a plot as well)
• bringing a laptop along to stay on top of things like blogging, emails, etc
• making promises you don't end up keeping (I'll share pics every day, still post in those groups, still maintain blogging, etc)
• taking accidental breaks and feeling like they're sufficient

That ^ is bad. Don't be like Abi. Don't take fake breaks. Deal? ;)

Here's what my "real break" in NYC looked like. Real break:

• having a few bookish ideas flit through my head, but keeping the break (not the project) the focus
• having limited internet and no computer
• checking email and starring what looks important, but not replying to anything
• letting go of my "I'll post pictures every day" idea when Facebook simply didn't like me and I was too tired
• planning this break as a Friday-Thursday hiatus so I could prepare (scheduled a blog post and a few social media posts)
• choosing fun and/or sleep over anything else
• having lots to do so I genuinely had no time to think "gee, look at all this free time I could be working during"
• keeping it short so that I can abandon things like email the whole time without any  repercussions

Yes, I still thought about my writing once or twice. I did post on Instagram a few times. But all of that was organic, and so it fit the break. There were zero expectations. It was the most freeing and exhausting trip ever.

And because it was a true break, I do kind of feel like I've forgotten how to follow the rules of the road (which don't apply in NYC), how to work, how to not eat bagoodles of sugar, how to write every day ... but I'll work it all back in a little at a time.

Basically, my brain took a hiatus. It doesn't matter what you're doing or not doing if your brain is still chanting write, write, write.

So yes, I started a new book in September as my "fake break" which fulfilled its purpose of keeping me writing something even if it wasn't Martin Crossroads. My real break was so much better than that even though it did put me behind on my goals and whatnot. Because at the end of it all, I have to enjoy some things without the need to write. 

And let's not forget I am self-published. I'm allowed to give myself a little breathing room. I highly recommend you do the same every once in a while. :)

How often do you take real breaks? Or are you bad about taking a bunch of fake breaks just to drag out the burnout process like me?

NYC was so much fun, you guys!!! I have a bunch of pictures up on my Facebook, but I can't wait to share some more because I did get behind. I saw both Phantom of the Opera and Anastasia on Broadway and I do have some great inspiration after seeing those, so time to think about my trip with my writer brain turned back on. ;)

Readers' Block and How to Vanquish It

We all know what writers' block is (though its existence is up for debate right now). But have you ever heard of readers' block? Chances are you've experienced it, and it's no fun.

Do you ever sit down to read a book and get nowhere? Maybe it's a book you were previously enjoying. Or maybe you start three different books and still can't get anywhere. You're dutifully trying to read, but it's a sudden struggle.

Worst. Feeling. Ever.

I call this readers' block: the sudden inability to enjoy reading. Because it's not that you can't read. There's just nothing going for ya. And like with writers' block, sometimes it's a good idea to push through and other times it's not.

I've been dealing with readers' block a lot lately, and I've learned one main thing: all it takes is a really good book.

That's it! I've only ever gotten out of readers' block by finding a book that wholeheartedly captured my interest. One that I looked forward to reading and knocked out quickly.

And while that sounds so simple, any of you who have ever felt this way know that the very nature of readers' block makes all books less interesting. 

Isn't that weird? (Answer: yes, it's a tragedy.)

That being said, you don't need just any mediocre book. You need a kind of book that's been known to capture you in the past.

So while this will probably look different for you, here are a few book characteristics I look for when trying to pull myself out of the slump:

• easy-to-read writing // I enjoy Dickens and Shakespeare, but this is not the time to start one of them. Give me some straightforward 21st-century writing!
• an engaging main character // I have to care about the main character a lot to get myself out of a reading slump. So he/she needs to be entertaining, mysterious, relatable ... compelling in some way!
• a vivid setting // I'm 10x more likely to connect to a book in a vivid setting. This doesn't mean it has to be a beautiful vividness, but there has to be that world-painting nonetheless.
• sprinkles on top // whether it be a plot twist, a well-done romance, a scene of drama, or something that makes me emotional ... yeah, that takes the book that much further.
• bonus points // some personal favorites like humor, Christian themes, multiple POV, hints of tragedy, and self-sacrifice.

Again, your list will probably look different than mine, and that's perfectly fine! But I've found that knowing what I like has helped me work around bouts of "all books are boring." Because we all know that's not true. ;)

Does such a book exist, you ask? Yes, yes it does.

A few that have worked their magic on me in the last few months are:

• Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
• The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
• The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy Cambron

Yes, I bypassed those times when we have no choice but to subject ourselves to a particular book. Lots of things here depend on preference and circumstance. Sometimes you should perhaps take a break from reading all together.

But when at all possible, I've learned to stop reading if the book doesn't capture my interest. Sometimes the disinterest is on my part and not the book's. So don't be afraid to hold out for that awesome read that will cleanse your reading taste buds and allow you to revisit less glamorous (but hopefully equally rewarding) reads.

What books have helped you get out of the depths of despair?

P.S. I scheduled this post in advance, but am currently frolicking about NYC with a notebook in one hand and a (phone) camera in the other. Can't wait to tell you all about it!