I wouldn't say that I have writer's block exactly. More like tired brain. Symptoms include inability to type complete sentences, irritation with my main characters, laptop avoidance, and glazed eyes from excessive blog hopping as I procrastinate working on my WIP until late evening each day.
Writing 2,000 words a day (the recent summer goal I set) has been challenging but most of the time really enjoyable. I love watching my word count increase daily and seeing my story come to life.
But some of the time I feel tired at the thought of writing before I even sit down to type the first sentence. Ever feel that way? Is it writer newbie-itis? Or does tired brain affect all writers now and then?
I'm thinking a change of scenery will do me good. And maybe just a lot of downtime with a great book.
And fortunately, this week I am on a five day excursion as a leader at a church girls camp in the lovely wooded area of western Washington. We are asked to not bring electronics of any type (only cell phones are allowed for leaders) so my laptop will be taking a break as well back at home.
I will have good old fashioned pen and paper with me though and am hoping my brain will perk back up and the ideas will flow once more as I enjoy the forest and daily s'mores.
How do you like to recharge your batteries?
Hi! I'm Leslie. Mom to three fun kids and two fluffy kittens. Chocolate and caramel aficionado. Occasional domestic goddess. Resident of the sunny, sagebrush side of Washington state. Book reader extraordinaire. Middle grade and young adult writer in training, one word at a time. That's me. Thanks for visiting and let me know what you think in the comments.
I once read for someone to be creative, they had to continually fill their creative tank - reading, music, art, dance - experience these things either as a participant or a spectator, and the creativity manifests itself again. I have found it to work well.
ReplyDeleteTired brain affects everyone - no matter where they are in the field. Sometimes a change of scenery works wonders. I went from writing on my work computer (I work from home) to lounging on the sofa with my laptop. Small difference but I wrote loads after that. And when you have a goal, ie, 2000 words a day, sometimes a break is good. Other than that it's discipline all the way through :)
ReplyDeleteI totally get tired brain sometimes. 2k a day is a lot! My goal right now is 1,500k words a day and it's starting to get pretty tough. Usually, a change of scenery works great. Or just a break and reading a lot. Hope your trip helps! :D
ReplyDeleteLove the Calvin and Hobes.
ReplyDeleteEveryone gets that tired brain. Sometimes we can rejuvenate ourselves by writing in a different spot or by hand instead of on a computer, or working on a different project. Sometimes we need to fill our creative well by reading, listening to music, or sleeping. Sometimes life has run us down and we need to take a break and take care of whatever is pulling at our time and emotions. Don't worry, it is normal.
Brain tired is my time to get outside and do things. After all, to write we need new ideas and experiences - things we can't find just sitting around in front of the computer.
ReplyDeleteOh Leslie, you are a girl after my own heart.
ReplyDeleteJust wrote a similar post - my brain is indeed tired. Hoping your time away will revive you :)
Kim
I don't know what I do. I've thought about trying to write a different story, though. Like write a short story, or even just brainstorm with my word cards to come up with a new idea. (I have cards with settings, characters types, a plot type, and a verb and then I have to put it together into a story idea. It's fun to just think about, even if I never write it.) Otherwise, I think I tend to shop, which is terrible on the bank account!
ReplyDeleteHave such a wonderful time in the forest! That sounds like the perfect way to recharge. I feel like I have a tired brain often (especially when doing revisions) and doing something different for a while always snaps me out of it.
ReplyDeleteOh man, it affects us all. In fact, it's killing me RIGHT NOW! Grrr. I really wish I had a cord that I cold plug into myself. Wouldn't that be great? An easy recharge!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad other writers experience tired brain. I don't feel so alone.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I've left an award for you over at my blog.
I always get tired brain...right around revision time...LOL!
ReplyDeleteThat's how I got on your blog...
Have fun at girls camp! I went a few weeks ago and that alone was enough to fill my tank. Also, reading good books tends to help too. I like to consider 'reading' part of honing my writing craft, then I don't feel so guilty about it.
ReplyDeleteI can get that way when I give myself big word counts. Eventually I run out of things to say if I don't have a plan for scenes. If you do get tired brain, it's probably that your mind is getting cluttered with lots of things to do at once... try meditation for just five minutes before you sit down, or before you go to sleep at night or when you first wake up. I just find it helpful to clear the clutter and make room for the story to grow. I use guided meditation recordings on my phone (they even have some especially for creativity or novel writing), I could never focus enough on my own :)
ReplyDeleteI have trouble when I set goals for my writing. Everything in my life is about schedules and set goals and organization and the like and I cannot do that with my writing. Then that too seems like a chore (like a job) and that cannot be.
ReplyDeleteUgh, this tired brain stuff is not a pleasant feeling. When I come down with this, reading works best for me. A good novel recharges me and gets me excited all over again about writing. Good luck and have fun at camp! Have at least one s'more for me! : )
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. When I can't write, I don't force myself to (for long). I read. Reading almost always brings me back to that blank page with a fresh attitude!
ReplyDeleteI've suffered from brain tiredness countless times. I'm sure Girls Camp will recharge you. the last time I went (as a leader) I appreciated my life at home so much more and found happiness in the little things. Nothing like being around a couple hundred stinky girls in the wilderness!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your message. Have you read lots of picture books? It's an excellent way to get a really good feel for what works. And it's worth checking out the recent ones (so you could go into a bookshop and read through lots of them -very carefully of course!). And if you buy some that you think are great, or get some really good ones out of the library, try typing them out and looking at them as manuscripts so you can see where the page turns happen and the shape of the story. That can really help give you a feel for it. I would really recommend joining SCBWI and there are all sorts of events where you can learn from other authors and editors and agents. We've got critique groups which can be extremely valuable in helping you make your story the very best it can be. My latest post is all about feedback on your writing, which might help (click on my name on the right hand side of the blog and it'll come up). And don't worry about your story not coming out perfect first time round: it often takes lots and lots of editing to get it right.
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