You’re a writer the minute you say you are. Nobody gives you a diploma. You have to prove it, at least to yourself.
— J. R. Moehringer
If you’re like me, you probably make yourself a writing schedule and do what you can to stick to that schedule. After all, as Moehringer’s quote says, it’s up to us to prove it to ourselves.
Writing on a regular basis makes us feel productive and gets us closer to our publishing goals. We are told that if we take breaks, we might lose our momentum and our creativity. We are told that we need to stay consistent or we can’t call ourselves real writers.
And yet, if we look at professional athletes, for example, we see that they are encouraged to rest. In fact, they are encouraged to build the rest time into their training schedule. They know that resting is when the body recovers and the muscles restore. They know that a day of rest gets them refreshed and ready for another training day.
Just like sports, writing also takes energy and practice. It also requires a fresh mind for creative ideas to flow. And it also requires rest in order to refresh and rejuvenate the flow of creativity.
Next time you create your writing schedule, be sure to include resting periods and stick to them the same as you would to the writing itself.
Whether you rest for an hour, a day, or a week, when you come back to your writing, you will have a fresh mind, a new perspective, and an energized groove.