by Eric Bailey

Created on: February 16, 2010

A writer’s pursuit of his or her magnum opus make cause one to understate the importance of identifying when you need to take a break from writing. Whether composing the great American novel, churning out multiple articles of quality web content, fine-tuning an entry for a poetry competition, or other form of verbally creative expression, like any other kind of artist, the passion can be so strong as to blur common sense.

Scribes all over the world struggle to find the ideal balance between writing and living; not letting one aspect dominate over the other, but rather, each serving to enhance and thus provide a sort of intangible, wonderful harmony. These concepts can seem very vague and out-there; in stark reality, however, the simple truth is that there are a few critical signals to look for in order to identify when it is necessary to put the pen or keyboard down and take a break from writing.

Fatigue

When a human being is tired, your mental faculties begin to dull and grow fuzzy, thus negatively impacting any capacity you have for basic function, much less the intricacies required of professional-grade written projects. Just as you would with most other activities, so too is it appropriate to stop writing when your eyelids grow heavy, when you know you desire sleep, and when it is becoming difficult to focus. The consequences make their appearance in a decline in composition grade, along with a later inability to recall the process and progress undertaken during the period of tiredness.

Block

Then there is that old cliche obstacle for penmen and penwomen everywhere, the “writer’s block.” Although it is true that experts suggest you make writing a habit and intentionally strive to do it everyday, it is also alright to be content with a moderate or mild body of work compared to what gets done on most days. It would be unreasonable to expect the absolute best material to continually be improved every day, each better than the last. Instead, when you know you have hit a creative brick wall and the words are not flowing well and the ideas are running dry, take a break. It is better to come back refreshed.

Life

In extreme cases, figuring out when you should take a break from writing becomes very important if the act of writing is interfering disruptively with day-to-day life. Perhaps it is putting a strain on relationships, or the deadlines are causing undue stress, or a story is seen with an inflated sense of priority. In these cases, it is essential to be able to step back, reassess, realize the need for moderation, and smile as you enjoy another activity for a little while.

It is hard to believe that one can do too much writing; after all, it can be a massively enjoyable, even profitable, pursuit. However, once you have been scrawling and scribbling so much that it adversely affects either your product or your lifestyle itself, those needs trump any that writing can hold.

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