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Today I want to talk about the opposite of writer's block. The reverse of procrastination, when you're so fueled to write you kept going, and going, and going. Maybe you have deadlines and projects other people are counting on. Maybe writing is your job and it pays your bills. Sometimes writing takes over, but after awhile, that constant mining for creativity can take its toll.
I'm taking an online course about organizing life to enhance creativity, which brought up how our creative minds need a break. The same way we need to get up from the chair and physically stretch, our writer brains need to defrag and do something else. Or? Burn out. Nobody wants that.
And then the instructor went ahead and listed some alternate activities. Including....
VIDEO GAMES.
I did a double take. Right there with scrapbooking and gardening and going for a walk was the suggestion to play video games.
My Writing Instructor Told Me Video Games Enhance Creativity!
Do you know how long I've been waiting for someone to say this? It's especially timely for me since my favorite game franchise released a new edition: Fallout 4 last month. I may or may not have coordinated time off work with my husband over the release of this game. (Hey, us adults can do that and not just call in to work for a "sick day.") Fallout has everything; epic world-building, hundreds of quests, excellent writing (bonus!), great voice acting, doses of humor. It's so, so fun.
And I felt like I needed permission to play. I've drilled it in my consciousness that I won't be a multi-published author if I don't multi-finish books (true). I also know, my brain gets fried if I don't take breaks.
We writers are hard on ourselves. I wrote two rough drafts in four months. I have projects in the works. I love it, but I also need to give my story-crafting brain some downtime.
And I need to build a not-up-to-code shanty in the irradiated wastelands for my settlements. Yup.
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| poorly constructed settelment Fallout 4 |
Have you ever had a time where you felt like you needed permission to take a break? What's your outlet from writing?
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Nice post! I think of my writing as my escape from my evil day job, so I seem to focus on getting in as much writing time as I can. But I agree, too much of anything is going to burn you out. I think TV/movies on DVD are my escape- they just let the brain sort of float around and not do anything ;). Going to walks in lovely areas helps too :). Nice to meet you fellow IWSGer! :)
ReplyDeleteWriting is also my escape from Mundane Day Job. Exercise also really helps me. I have to remember that when it gets dark at 4:30 and it's freezing cold the next few months.
DeleteSolitaire and MahJong are my breaks. We all need breaks, time to rest that part of our brain. I hope you got other good ideas from your class.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
Diane
IWSG #85
We find our fuel in different places. If you still need permission, I give it to you freely. Enjoy the game. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from Elements of Writing
Thanks!!
DeleteI play Mahjong to relax. So glad we're finding out it's good for you! Thanks, Steph!
ReplyDeleteI kill zombies occasionally. (Plants vs Zombies.) Playing the piano sometimes does the trick too. Or reading. Or running. Biking. Watching a movie. Driving. Playing with the kids. I think change is really what keeps us moving--breaking the monotony and allowing ourselves to recharge.
ReplyDeletePlants vs Zombies is so fun. Agree, the change of environment helps. I get very stuck on one project and want to see it through.
DeleteAnd cooking! Cooking is a good one for me.
I hate cooking, but more power to you.
DeleteI'm right there with you on getting stuck in one project, but only until the momentum dies.
Yes, I always feel guilty for taking a break - mind you I'm quite good at staring into space too so I guess I have to make the time up somehow.
ReplyDeleteI'm taking a little break as we speak...my WIP is with the editor, my NaNo draft is cooling. I'm doing genealogy, which not only takes me into a completely different world, but generates story ideas as well.
ReplyDeleteI also walk, garden, and do yoga, but those are part of my daily routine. I write a bit, go move my body, write some more, that kind of thing. When I make a conscious decision to not write, the genealogy is my thing.
I'm currently recharging my empty writing reserves by playing Bravely Default. It took some effort, but I finally convinced myself I had permission to idle away hours playing with someone else's fictional characters rather than developing my own. (Plus the dialogue is often hilarious.)
ReplyDeleteI had to look up Bravely Default. Looks cool! I used to play some of the Final Fantasy games on the DS, quite awhile back. I never gelled with the newer FF games though they are really cool looking.
DeleteI read to recharge. And, of course, some online SUDOKU helps.
ReplyDeleteI never got into that game, but it really liked a movie version of the game a friend of mine made: Cinemadoku http://www.cinemadoku.com/
DeleteI'm the worst at taking breaks, but video games are one of the few hobbies I can balance with writing. I did have to stop playing Candy Crush on Facebook, though. That game's a little too distracting!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a gamer but, I like to take walks in the woods with my dog. Or I like to read and watch good movies that help me recharge. Even though I'd like to take a break after the release of my book on Dec. 20, I'll probably still be writing.
ReplyDeleteI would have never thought that video games were good for creativity! I take a break from writing by working on projects on our boat. It involves a kind of trouble shooting which helps me think outside the box at times.
ReplyDeleteThat is the most awesome recommendation ever! Ready to go take a creative break right now.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how we need someone else to tell us it's okay to take a break sometimes? The down side of a strong work ethic, I guess.
ReplyDeleteYes! I've been "avoiding burnout" all week by not writing :)
DeleteAlways nice to get permission to do what we love :)
ReplyDeleteMost definitely. The pressure is always there.
ReplyDeleteFor me, my guilty pleasure is reading. And watching true-crime documentaries on YouTube. (Okay, sometimes a cute cat video or ten as well.)
I would say reading is NOT a guilty pleasure, just a pleasure :) Though I definitely know the feeling of shirking other responsibilities because you want to keep involved with your book.
DeleteI like taking mindfulness walks, they take the pressure off and ultimately help in my writing. I also take breaks by reading and making art. One of my aims for the next year is to integrate art-making with writing. I've always been separating the two, but I recently realized I don't have to nor do I want to.
ReplyDeleteTaking breaks is important as is realizing when it's a stalling technique.
Good point about distinguishing if it's a stalling technique.
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