When Not to Write

I’ve read, and even written, many posts extolling the virtues of writing through any hardship. A heartbreak, a loss, a tsunami, a zombie apocalypse. The act can be a healing one and often helps us sort out our feelings or minimally allow our minds to escape whatever chaos has firmly lodged itself in our lives. But I would also argue that there is a space and time when for some, we need permission not to write.

From about the age of ten on, I started a firm routine of writing in the morning. Every morning without fail. Back then it was loose-leaf pages in a worn neon Trapper Keeper that survived three years of middle school far better than I did. And during my wild college days I still managed to jot down things as the sun rose even if I’d only slept a few hours the night before. My morning exercises have found their homes on the back of Target receipts, across paper towels, and everywhere else all because once I’d read that Hemingway followed this routine, and he turned out to be a fairly decent author (understatement intended). His daily practice also seemed more palatable than Vonnegut’s push-ups to spur creativity.

Of course, in this sort of mandatory writing situation, not everything I write during those early sessions is good. Although even out of bad pages, I can often resurrect a few good sentences. Once, seven pages of junky writing yielded a title that I used years later and somehow, that seemed like a huge win.

However, there were a few moments in my life that tossed up some rather large blockades and writing felt like a miserable chore. It was painful, and after some Herculean trying I learned that as an author, there are absolutely occasions that make it ok to put the pen down.
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1. Emotional distress – Sometimes an event or a feeling is so raw it’s impossible to write about it with any reason. And if you’re trapped inside of the fray, you can’t possibly see the forest for the trees. Or rather you’d like to burn the forest down. Become a lumberjack and head to Scandinavia where it’s too cold to hurt, or write. In those cases, writing can keep you trapped in feelings that aren’t good for you, so pen down.

 

1. Physical exhaustion – Sleep matters. New parents and high school students may disagree, but medically our bodies don’t do well with less than seven hours of sleep. And if you don’t believe me, look, it’s science HERE! Just because your fingers are tapping doesn’t mean you’re doing what’s best for your body so perhaps close the laptop, steal a catnap, and do double duty during your next writing sprint. Besides, you could pull a Stephenie Meyer and dream up your next great piece. (As long as it’s not Twilight. Anything but that.)

 

1. An empty writing well – One of my favorite authors, Laurie Halse Anderson, gave a brilliant analogy that’s been used often but was new to me as I listened to her speaking at a local SCBWI event. “Creativity is like a pitcher, and if your pitcher is empty, you can’t give…or write.” Is your daily routine squeaking out the chance to read a good book or watch a favorite film? Has it been too long since you’ve stood in front of a real live painting or listened to an orchestra at full blast? I’ve read more often than not to write through writer’s block, but I also think that actively going out to seek inspiration is an excellent way to recharge. Consider skipping a writing session and instead walk to a local gallery or put on your headphones. Curl up to listen to beautiful music or a podcast. Who knows, you might even fall asleep (see tip #2) and wake up both physically and mentally recharged.

 
Ultimately every writer has different challenges and strengths. Unique routines and mechanisms to carry them from Once Upon a Time all the way to The End in their manuscripts. While this blog might make sense to some, it could be a totally wrong fit for others. But at core I think most writers tend to be the toughest self-critics. We rake ourselves over the coals when we’re not writing enough, not publishing enough, not doing those writerly things that make us authors. So, if nothing else, I hope the takeaway is to be kind to yourself. And if circumstances are so that you find you’ve got to put the pen down, that’s ok.