How to Take a Break From Your Writing and Come Back Better Than Ever

3 simple ways to make it count

Photo taken by the author

I’ve been writing every single day for most of my life, especially the past 4 years.

So why on earth would I tell you to take a break?

Everybody Needs a Vacation

Let’s face it. Writing is work. It can be really hard work sometimes.

You schedule a vacation every summer or every Christmas from your day job. When I lifted weights years ago, I read that you should schedule time off every year from going to the gym.

This seems counterintuitive because writing every day is the only way to get better at it. When I learned how to play basketball, I played every single day for months, even years as a teenager. If I gave it up, eventually I’d lose what I gained.

The problem is we get into ruts. We coast. And as we move, we have no idea if our ruts are helpful or harmful. As long as we’re avoiding major disaster, we tell ourselves we’re okay.

Last spring, I took a trip to the beach. We didn’t plan anything but walks, dinner at a local restaurant, and playing games at night. We didn’t go to museums, visit local attractions, or do anything that was more than two or three blocks away. Our car…