It’s weird how my writing brain works. Some mornings, I don’t feel like putting a single word down on the page but as soon as I start, I can’t stop: the sentences flow, the ideas keep getting better, the story progresses and I even find some fantastic twists. And then, there’re mornings where I know where the story is heading, and I’m so excited to start—until I stare at a blank page and the words are stuck in my head. Won’t come out, or when they do, well… less than stellar, let’s say.
So what to do? Some think you have to bust through and keep writing (even if it might be shit) and others say to leave it be and come back another time: in ten minutes, ten hours, ten days. But then, what about the guilt? You know, when you keep thinking so many people dream about being able to write all day, I get to do it but here I am, stuck. Ten or twelve hours of writing time lost forever because of some stupid little bug in my head.
What I think? We all deserve an off day and shouldn’t feel bad about taking a break. I often find that if I get out of the house and go somewhere busy, I can think easier about why my story isn’t taking the shape I want it to and brainstorm better surrounded by strangers. No, not WITH them, but hearing different accents, seeing different faces and having a change of scenery always brings new life into my writing. Oh, and my brain thanks me for it the next time I pick up a pen.
This post was written at the Thai Express restaurant while developing Evoly, my MC for Land in Abyss.
Anne Michaud 
July 1st, 2011 at 1:22 am
Actually, it’s a good idea to think of these days as one of the pauses in a piece of music. Without those pauses, the music makes no sense at all and is just noise.
We all get days/weeks/months/years like this. The trick is to see it as neither permanent nor serious. It’s up to you to decide whether to force it or not. I prefer not. If I want to write, I write non fiction or try something different. Eventually it comes back. I’d not like to have the time to write all day, because it wouldn’t work for me. I need those spaces, pauses between the rush of words to see where those words need to go.
cheers,
Viv
July 1st, 2011 at 7:35 am
I totally agree, Viv. We NEED time off, our brains and soul do:)