Signs You Might Need a Writing Break

/ Joan Hall

Hey, SE Readers. Joan here today. Many of us face times when we need a break from writing. Whether you balance a full-time job with writing or write for a living, we all need to step aside for a while.

I’d like to note that D. L. Finn wrote an excellent post earlier this year on mini vacations for writers. Click here to read.

The year 2022 has been one of transition for me. I’ve gone from being employed full-time with writing in the evenings and on weekends to becoming a full-time writer. Before I retired at the end of August, as much as I hated to do it, I needed to step aside from writing for a while.

Doing so meant postponing the release of a planned short story collection, but sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves, and I found I was doing that. The break was worth it.

How do you know when you need a break? This is not an all-inclusive list, but these are a few signs I personally experienced.

  • If you begin to doubt your ability as a writer. I don’t think there is a writer who hasn’t questioned themselves at times—especially when in that “want to be a writer” stage. Self-doubt is an evil enemy, but don’t give in to it.
  • If you hate everything you write. Maybe you have a great idea, and you want to pen the story, but once written, you feel like it belongs in the recycle bin. Note: never throw away a piece of writing. If something isn’t working, save it in a folder. Months or years may pass, but one day, you just might find the right place for the story.
  • If you find yourself staring at a blank screen or the same paragraph. The words are in your head, but you can’t seem to get them onto paper or the computer screen. By mid-August, I couldn’t even write a decent blog post or book review. Fortunately, I had all my Story Empire posts written and scheduled through August. I needed a blogging break.
  • If everything you write is a repeat of earlier works. For most of this year, I’ve worked on my short story collection. Even though I’m a pantser, I began jotting down ideas for the stories in the fall of 2021. The characters, scenes, and settings were different, but I found two or three of the stories were too similar. This required some modifications, and when I took a break, I was able to go back and look at them with a fresh perspective.
  • If you’re mentally exhausted. My full-time job, auditing patient charts, required a lot of concentration. Some of the audit’s accuracy was tied to reimbursement for the hospital. There were days when I would come home with my brain in a fog. Mental exhaustion can lead to physical tiredness, so pay attention to what your body is saying. Stress is another factor that can affect our creativity, and we all know stress can lead to many other health issues.

How long should your writing break be? Only you can answer that question. It may be a few hours, or it could be several days or a couple of weeks. You’ll know when it’s time to return to writing. A word of caution. Don’t take too long, especially if you’re in the middle of a project. It’s often hard to go back after a long period and be able to get the writing mojo flowing again.

Time for you to share. Have you ever felt the need for a writing break? What were some of the signs? How long did you step away? Please share your experiences in the comments.

93 thoughts on “Signs You Might Need a Writing Break”

  2. I agree Joan. We should take breaks when needed. Thinking can be a hard job. Writing when our heads have too much turmoil requires a timeout too. I think we know when to step aside. The beauty is, our work will always be there when we’re ready – our blogs too. ❤

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  3. I think breaks are important, Joan, and we need to give ourselves guilt-free permission to walk away from the keyboard when we need them. For me, it’s usually stress (mental exhaustion). I step away from writing so that I can focus on those other priorities, knowing that I’ll come back refreshed. Same with blogging. 🙂 Great post.

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    • Blogging breaks are an absolute must, Diana. I took some time off last year between Christmas and the New Year and plan to do it again this year. One of the most relaxing vacations we’ve had was a cruise to Alaska. We didn’t have international calling on our cell phone plan at the time, so unless we were in Alaskan ports, we kept them turned off. No writing, no social media, no blogging. It was wonderful!

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  5. I think all writers need a break, It’s like a vacation from work. Once done, you come back recharged and ready to go. There are some days you are just in a funk for one reason or another. Other times, you read a book and think, my writing just doesn’t compare. Those are two indicators for me to step away and come back when my mind is fresh. It’s never for long, but just enough to give me a new perspective,

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  6. I’ve felt that way too. Sometimes it’s giving up on writing all together. I’ve got ideas and words in my head, but I couldn’t put them down on paper.
    I wrote something down, but it looks like trash.
    Or I’d just postpone writing and make up different excuses to clear my conscience
    Everyone needs a break once in a while. Thank you for sharing 💕

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  7. A delightful blog Joan, I love it and as I was browsing the reader I saw this title and it drew me in like a fish caught in the net with no way to go.

    As a writer it is necessary to take a break from writing though it is what we love as writers but a break actually brings back the writing mojo just like any other occupation and job we need a break so that our brains functions well because if we keep working like robots our mind will be mentally exhausted as you mentioned here thus a break is compulsory
    🙏

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  9. Great post, Joan. Breaks are definitely necessary. I find myself mentally fatigued from staring at a computer all day. I have no problem taking a breather from a writing project. The project will eventually come to completion.

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  10. All my breaks come from outside sources, mainly the day job. One of the lucky ones. I find it easy to write and produce ideas. Getting the time to write them is another matter. But then (perhaps) if I always had the time (perhaps) then I would struggle? Who knows? Good luck to everyone with thier books.

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  11. Great post, Joan 🙂 Thank you for the Mini Vacation mention! I do believe we all get to this point I know I just did and a break is exactly what I needed. I came back what a better attitude and fresh eyes for my short story collection too. It is easy to end up with similar stories too. I also found I can’t try to do it all so I’m not trying to hold on to that. It is so much better to come back fresh and re-energized.

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    • Looking back now, I don’t know how I did it all. Especially toward the end, I was weary. now that I’ve had a couple of months, my mind is clearer and the ideas are flowing. Flowing faster than I can write, but that’s a good thing.

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  13. I tend to cut back on writing a bit during the summer months. Not really because I feel a need for it, just that life becomes busier with other distractions. For me it isn’t about taking writing breaks, but about taking blogging breaks and breaks from social media so that I can concentrate more on writing. I’m like you before you retired—95% of my writing is done on the weekend, which means rather than needing a break from it, I’m really looking forward to it because I’ve been away from it for a week.

    And I agree to never throw anything away. I’ve gone back and salvaged ideas and stories I thought had no potential at the time. It’s amazing what distance and perspective can do!

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  15. Great list, Joan. I think the biggest for me would be if I’m not burning to get it down; then I’m likely distracted by wanting to work on music or something else. Thanks for sharing a thoughtful piece.

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  16. Retirement is a big transition for some. My three older retired brothers and I often joke, “How did we ever find time to work?” I have many things going on besides writing, so managing my time and ensuring that I spend part of each day writing/blogging is part of that equation. Because my life is finally in balance, I’ll do everything I can to keep it that way. Self-care (genuinely ridiculous that I needed a reminder to take care of myself) has moved way up on my daily priority list.

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  17. Hi Joan, thank you for this post which is timeous for me. It is fine to step back during busy periods, provide the busy periods don’t become the norm and everything you enjoy doing in life isn’t pushed aside to accommodate work. It is nice that you have retired now and can focus your energy on the things you enjoy doing. I must admit, I really like my job, but it has become overwhelming over the past three years and I’m experiencing adverse health conditions like high blood pressure.

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  18. I’ve learned to trust myself more as a writer, so when I feel like I need a break, I take one, and when I can’t stand not writing, I plop my fanny in the chair and put fingers to keys, but it took me a long time to believe I could step away from writing for a while and still come back to it.

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  20. Great points to watch for. I’ve taken an extended break from writing due to ill health, but I have managed to write poetry, which seems to have given me the balance I need. I hope to get back to more consistent writing in the new year, all being well. Self-doubt, for me, is a sure sign I’m over tired and need a break. Congratulations on your retirement and writing, Joan 💕🙂

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  21. When I worked for the story studio, I was obligated to make certain word counts. The pace was grueling. I’m still brain-foggy from meeting those demands. A break then would have done so much for my physical, mental, and emotional health. Great post, Joan. And kudos to you for making such a seamless transition to full-time author.

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    • I can relate to the brain fog. Last night, I opened a journal/notebook that I’ve used to jot down ideas for my short story collection. In early August, I wrote about being tired and unable to concentrate on writing. It’s taken me a couple of months, but I think I’m getting my new routine down. The good part is if I don’t want to write on a particular day, I don’t have to.

      I keep a word count tally, but it’s only for my information. I no longer set a word count goal for each day.

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  22. Your points are excellent, Joan. Sometimes we need a “mental health” day/week/month. Life often provides that for me. I may protest the interruption, but later I see its value. 😊

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  27. This is such a great and timely post, Joan. Especially this time of the year, going into the holidays, as weariness begins to set in. I can’t say I’ve ever taken a writing break, but life sure has had a way of stepping in and preventing me from working on my WIP. I love what you said about listening to our bodies. It’s hard to do sometimes because of the pressure and expectations we put on ourselves. Thank you for this reminder and the warning signs.

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    • Oh yes, the holidays. They are fun, but can also be stressful. We do put a lot of pressure on ourselves. I had hoped to publish my short stories in October, but there was no way. I would have been rushed and the writing would have been sub-par. No new releases for me this year, but I’d rather wait than to publish mediocre work.

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  28. Great post! I’m there at the moment. The real job is at full steam and my brain is mush. Mostly, I beat it by switching things up. A different story, doing art, etc. But sometimes I just have to sit still and let the pressure go. I know after all these years that the ideas come back. Just a matter of resting up enough and listening for them.

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  29. An excellent checklist, Joan! It’s a delicate balance. A “delay” is not a “denial” of our dreams, but sometimes it’s hard to see that when emotions overwhelm. Stepping back temporarily can help us move forward in the future.

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  30. So timely, Joan! I’m having some health problems at the moment and just dealing with the essentials is hard work. Writing had become one of those major driving moments of my day, but I’ve not written or read anything for a while and letting go of it has taken a huge amount of the pressure off me. Once everything settles again, (very soon, I suspect!) I’m hoping to return refreshed and with my former enthusiasm. When I’m really keen to get back in the writing saddle, I suspect my writing will be the better for it. Happy retirement – though I expect you’ll be just as busy now as you were before. At least what you do will be from choice and you can give your writing the time it deserves. x

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  31. Pingback: Signs You Might Need a Writing Break | Legends of Windemere

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