Honor The Pauses
May 23, 2007 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
One of the odd things about freelance writing is we often ask ourselves to be creative more or less on demand. While I believe that it is possible to get in the habit of creation, I also recognize that, when I’m dealing with difficult material, I need to give myself lots of space. It’s a lesson I learn over and over again.
Here’s what I mean. Right now I’m working on the opening chapter of a book or book proposal I’m ghosting. The author has a whole new way of seeing human behavior. On a gut level I truly grok what he’s talking about. But translating that understanding into a series of words, sentences, etc. is taking time – serious time.
Part of that time is mental and or physical pacing around. Sometimes it’s a game of solitaire; sometimes I’ll start the dishes. Or, like now, I’ll do a blog on the process. While I’m doing something else, my mind is working on the concepts and the words.
The trick, of course, is to limit the breaks. Usually a minute or two, and no more than five or 10, is enough. Anything longer than that and I’ve moved off the project. That’s okay if it’s a decision. Right now it’s 12:30 and I need lunch, so I’m taking a break – probably about 30 minutes… then I’ll go back to the writing.
Write well and often,
Two newsletters:
Abundant Freelance Writing – a resource for freelance writers including 3x a week job postings.
Writing With Vision – for those who want to get a book written.
I always need to remember that a little distance from my work goes a long way–this is part of the reason I like to have a few different things going at once. Your brain works on an idea even when you’re not, and isn’t it wonderful?
Also, incidentally, those little breaks are also good for your eyes and body :)
yeah, good for the eyes and the body… important point!
Consider it your mental warm-up, Anne. I do the same thing. I drag my feet and avoid it and I can’t explain why. Then I sit down and hammer it out.
It’s just part of the process. :)
yeah, you’d think I’d be used to it after all these years… maybe worrying a bit about it is also part of my process… spritual teacher of mine says if you know how to worrry you know how to meditate.
Nice post, Anne. We definitely need the breaks. The busiest days are the days I need them the most. A short walk is always a good release–clears my thoughts and helps me focus anew.
A good night’s sleep often helps, too!