Writing Update: A Beneficial Break

Sometimes, we have all the motivation we need, the perfect plot, fascinating characters, and a story near and dear to our hearts...but no time to write. It's understandable. As much as it irritates the determined writer, this is a good sign. It shows that you have everything it takes to write your story except for the mere time to sit down and write. 

If you've wisely prioritized your life, then, naturally, you will find yourself in this predicament eventually. For me, an important upcoming test has stolen all my free time, my writing time, for the sake of studying. Am I irritated by this? Of course. Yet, I understand the importance of prudent prioritizing. 

After nearly three months of forcing myself away from writing in order to devote myself fully to my studies, I have gained an important lesson. The "lost writing time" and not necessarily lost at all. True, I have temporarily quit writing, but I still frequently think about my books. Normally, this would drive me to intense frustration - the words on the tip of my tongue, my fingers ready to fly across the keys, the  phrases strung together to make the most perfect sentences. 

So, how have I not lost my mind amidst this hiatus? I've simply found a new way of looking at it. 

This "lost writing time" is, rather, "gained brainstorming time". As I mentioned above, I cannot possibly stop thinking about my works, despite my lack of physically writing. As a result, I have been able to think through the plot(s) and characters of my book and critically analyze it/them in a way I never could. Previously, my mind was always on "the very next act" as I raced to type up the scenes that played out in my mind, and I did not give as much thought to analyzing and critiquing the work as a whole. 

Furthermore, this break has allowed me to devise new solutions for plot holes, intriguing new scenes that add further depth to character arcs, and enhance the nuances of each character's behavior and interactions with others. 

Since I am not "officially writing", I do not write out these new scenes, edits, etc. that I come up with in their entirety (though I long to!). Rather, I make quick (yet with enough detail to remind me of them later, should I forget) notes about each new idea I come up with, and leave it at that. The list is already of a considerable length! When I finally return to writing, after this important test is completed (less than two months away!), I will have a plethora of edits to complete! 

I am extremely grateful for this. What I had approached with discouragement and disappointment, I now view as a blessing. This break from writing, though aggravating, is a blessing in disguise. Every writer needs to remove herself from her work in order to fully appreciate, enhance, analyze, modify, and adapt her skill, and this forced hiatus has given me this opportunity.