If you read the writing advice by the greats—Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Eudora Welty—you come across their suggestion of daily writing.  Many professionals recommend that people write on a daily basis, and for many reasons, they are correct.  Writing on a daily basis keeps the hand limber so to speak. 

When people write on a daily basis, even for ten to fifteen minutes per day, the mental processes needed to write (analysis, synthesis, examination) keep in better condition.  Just like when a person works out on a daily basis, their muscles are more able to operate at full capacity, so the mental muscles are able to operate more efficiently when they are worked on a daily basis. 

In Stephen King’s On Writing, he suggests that writers set a specific daily schedule to write without any variation.  I agree with his suggestion and believe that when I write on a daily basis that my writing is stronger and the process more efficient.  King says he writes every day except Christmas, then he corrects and says that he writes on Christmas too.  No matter what individual readers think of King’s fiction writing, his advice is sound. 

So, if writing every day is so useful to writers, why would anyone suggest taking a writing break?  Why would anyone suggest any other method but writing on a daily basis?  If it isn’t broken, why try and fix it?

Every now and then, a self-care writing break can be just the thing to rejuvenate the mind and stimulate creativity.  As part of a blogging group, I see when writers are falling apart.  They are running on empty ideas so they end up repeating themselves, or their writing lacks the engaging pizzazz their readers need to feel connected, and their writing lacks the depth and breadth of their best work.  They need to take a break.

Sure, sometimes muscling through a problem can offer a workable solution.  But typically, when a writer is racing on misty fumes, what they really need is to inflow not to outflow.  Writers who are stumped, exhausted, or overwhelmed should consider a self-care regime that begins with a decision to stop writing for a short time.  Instead, those writers should focus on taking care of themselves by taking it all in, by in-flowing.  
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Although I do write on a daily basis, I find that sometimes I run dry.  For me, the problem is not getting myself to write on a daily basis but on reading on a daily basis.  I read what I need for my professional work on a daily basis, keep up with the New York Times, and listen to audio books in my car.  But I only spend quality time with a good book or on professional development for my writing once or twice a week (usually on the weekend).  So, I run out of things to write about. 

Because I am not soaking in new information, I end up drawing a blank while writing.  I will leave out details or not go as in depth as I could when my mind is exploding with an abundance of information. 

Reading gives writers the opportunity to inflow information.  When we read, we take in new ideas, compare them against our existing data, and decide where that new information fits in the great spectrum of content we can access. 

When we write, we outflow.  We take the synthesized analysis of content that we have considered and share it with others in an organized, digestible form that others can appreciate.  The balance between reading and writing is a lot like breathing—we inflow new information and we outflow constructed thoughts about our new conclusions.  
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When you recognize that writing is not going well for you (you are struggling to meet your typical word count, the ideas are not flowing, or the quality of your writing has diminished), try these recommendations for taking a writing break. 

First, stop writing. 

This can feel a bit uncomfortable, especially if you are working on an important project, but you when you put the pen down, you will open up other opportunities that will allow you to write efficiently later on. 

Sometimes, when we are working on important writing projects (building a blog site, composing a novel, drafting articles for publication, etc.), the last thing we feel compelled to do is accept defeat and stop writing.  But when the steam runs out and the muscles weaken, a break is oftentimes just what we need. 

Just as when people’s mental states totally change after taking a vacation, taking a writing break can be rejuvenating.  The key is to take the right kind of break.  Just as visiting certain family members creates significant stress, taking the wrong kind of writing break can make things worse.  So, choose wisely.

Second, start reading.

If you normally read 2-3 news articles a day, change things around.  Instead, incorporate two books to your daily reading—one fiction book to engage your imagination and one non-fiction book to hone your skill set. 

By changing your habits, you will change your mental patterns that have fallen into a state of disrepair.  This is a good thing.  Changing your patterns ensures that your writing next month with be completely different than your writing today.  That is the goal here—improve your writing by taking a writing break. 

If you normally write for an hour a day, use that time to read.  If you normally watch two hours of TV a day, change that time to reading.  If you normally listen to music while at the gym doing the stair stepper, change that to an audio book.  Reading stimulates the brain and thought patterns more than any other activity; it allows major shifts to happen in thinking that stimulate thought. 

Third, look around you.

One of the things that happens to writers when things go poorly for us is that we think about ourselves.  We start to obsess about what is not working.  We worry.  We blame ourselves for poor production and look inward for the reasons why.  With that kind of negative thinking, great writing is unlikely. 

Take time to observe.  Go for walks and do not bring a headset, phone, or music.  Instead listen to the sounds around you, smell the variety of scents on the air, and look at the variety of shapes and colors surrounding you.  Walk and walk and walk.  Ray Bradbury encourages writers to walk on a daily basis, as does Stephen King, and I believe both are correct in that walking encourages writers to reset their mindsets through observation.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of honing one’s observation skills.  A writer who cannot observe cannot describe.  Unfortunately, I see this problem quite a bit, especially in the blogging, personal essay, and short fiction genres.  Writers jump straight into the writing, hoping to force cleverly-constructed words to create themselves, but they have not taken the time to soak in the world around them first.  
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Writers must be a part of the world not separated from it.  The image of the lonely writer tapping away at a keyboard in a dark basement is completely wrong.  Writers have to talk to people, listen to the wind, read books, walk miles, and taste honey and vinegar both to be able to translate the realities of life into a synthesized truth for their readers to appreciate. 
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Sometimes, writers become overwhelmed, exhausted, or just drained of creative energy.  Taking a break from writing to make a difference and allow writers to return to their practices with enthusiasm and renewed energy.  If your writing practice has fallen into a rut, consider taking a break to rejuvenate.  

​Is there anything more characteristic of the season than a summer reading list?  The first thing I think of when planning my summer is what to read.  Usually, I head to the library and collect a stack of paper and audio books to last me a year because I am so excited to begin reading.  In reality, I finish a few books but not the original 30 or so that I check out in June. 

After I began book journaling, my appreciation for reading increased significantly.  That says a lot when reading is one of my three favorite activities (with writing and gardening).  When I journal about what I am reading, I am able to make clearer connections between the text and what is happening in my life. 

Like everyone else, I read to be better informed, to improve my skill set, to be entertained, and to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of an artistically-drafted piece of literature.  During the summer, I tend to be drawn into pieces that will reconnect me to reflective thought, the appreciation of nature, and looking over lives well lived.  
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​During the summer time, people sow seeds—literally and figuratively.  We plant the ideas that we want to grow in the coming year.  We tend to the goals we planted so that they bear fruit and make us into better people.  We water the imagination with engaging stories that digs deeper the well of intellectual and artistic growth. 
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While reading, reflect on the reading experience, the book, the elements of fiction or nonfiction, the reflections these inspire, and the considerations for the future.  By book journaling, readers can increase their love for the books they read and also develop their knowledge and understanding. 

When we journal about our reading, the words on the page take on new meaning.  Typically, readers will reflect for a few seconds to a few minutes on the text.  But after journaling about the reading, readers can inspire an ongoing appreciation of the text that lasts for weeks.  Many readers suggest that book journaling makes the reading more valuable overall.  

​Here is a list of books related to memoir, journal writing, and creative nonfiction that may be an inspiration to add to summer reading lists:
 
Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott
Anne Lamott brings her self-deprecating humor as she shares her reflections on raising a baby on her own and the incredible struggles and marvelous joys that punctuate such an adventure. 
 
Choosing Hope: Moving Forward from Life’s Darkest Hours by Kaitlin Roid-DeBellis
Kaitlin Roid-DeBellis saved the lives of fifteen first graders by cramming them into a single bathroom in Sandy Hook Elementary when outside of their door a madman murdered children; her book is a testament to hope, the power of good, and an inspiration of courage. 
 
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
Ever fantasized about moving to Provence, France?  Mayle lived the dream and lived to tell about it—the crumbling house, the lackadaisical infrastructure, and the copious good food and wine all combine to create a tale of life well lived, cleverly told.
 
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
This tale of adventure, community, and the appreciation for nature’s power culminates in the deeply important conversations had around tea.  Mortenson became an advocate for educating children, especially girls, in the mountainous regions of Pakistan in defiance of the Taliban. 
 
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Marriage.  Parenthood.  Relationships.  Personal sacrifice.  The delicious complexities of life come together here in this revealing memoir of what it is to be human. 
 
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Two children—Salva a refugee boy who walks Africa on foot in search of his family and Nya, a girl who walks hours each day in search of water to collect for her family’s survival—converge in this exceptional tale of hardship, loneliness, and survival. 
 
The Dirty Life A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball
Essex Farm—500 acres where the food for 100 people is produced each week—is at the center of this memoir that chronicles the dirty, dynamic life of a New York city writer turned upstate New York farmer. 
 
Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
The sun does not set in the far north—the arctic lands where the forests are stunted by long winters and the seas rage with frozen power.  The Arctic’s landscape, wildlife, and history converge in this account of the unique, magical lands to the north.
 
Still Points North by Leigh Newman
A childhood split between the Alaskan outback and urban Baltimore.  Newman’s tale of love, coming of age, adventure, discovery, nature, and adaptability shares her years as a child living in two worlds. 

To start book journaling, spend some time reading.  As you read, take note of what elements within the text inspires you.  Is it the clear descriptions of complicated characters that pulls you into the tale?  Is it the thorough research that drives your desire to know more?  Or is it the well-crafted words that replace the everyday reality with the tales of fiction, memoir, and biography?  As you consider these things, write them in your journal, then explore them.  Ask yourself questions about the books you are reading: what do they remind you of, what are you getting from them, would you pass on these books to friends and why?  Dig deep into the books you read and journal about that experience.  

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Thanks to research studies, personal experiments, innovative teachers, and determined writers, we know with certainty that journal writing can have a positive effect on a person’s mental and emotional health.  But how does journal writing create a positive effect?
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There are two considerations that every writer must address before starting any piece of writing—purpose and audience.  With purpose, writers need to take into consideration why that piece needs to be written in the first place and what purpose it will serve in the universe once it is completed.  With audience, writers need to consider who the intended audience it, what information that audience already has, and what information that audience needs.  Writers also need to consider the type of effect they want to have on the audience. 

With journal writing, the purpose and audience become much simpler.  When writing in a journal, the purpose is to reveal information from the past, to clarify details, or to organize one’s personal thoughts and memories.  Since we can use journaling in different ways (writing about the past, organizing personal goals, or book journaling), that purpose can shift slightly but is still grounded in the idea of writing for one’s personal improvement. 

While journaling, the audience is always the writer.  Writing for oneself can be a fulfilling self-care activity writers can choose, because it encourages a doubling of positive outcomes—both in the act of writing and in the act of reading the journal. 

So, if we are spending time in a journal with a clear idea of audience and purpose, how can we write to enjoy the fullest benefit of journaling? 

Many people automatically associate writing about past events with journaling, and this technique works well for many writers.  But, a subtle twist can make the outcome more potent.  All you have to do is rewrite the past.  It does sound a little odd at first thought, but this journal entry can relieve regret like no other. 

To begin a memory revision, choose a memory of an incident that went poorly.  Everyone has many of these types of incidents—times when you said the wrong thing, took the wrong action, failed to act at all, or flat out fell on your face.  Any incident that you would like to relive or revise would work perfectly for this activity. 

Once you have a memory chosen, write up a list of what happened in this incident without changing any of the events or details.  The notes do not need to be heavily detailed, but feel free to detail where it seems most appropriate, such as a part of the story where a misstep led to a significant problem. 

With the general overview of the incident in hand, start writing what happened in detail in your journal.  Write down as many specifics as you can think of—thoughts, sounds, sights, smells, tastes, emotions, and so on.  Make the retelling of the situation as thorough and in depth as when you originally lived it.  Write the story until you get to a point where things went wrong.  

Maybe you made the wrong turn.  Maybe you said the wrong thing.  Maybe you hit “send” instead of “draft”.  Whatever action you took or failed to take that resulted in the problem, change it.  This is the point where your journal entry changes from the factual incident that went wrong to a revised version that could have gone right.  This is where healing in journaling happens.

From the change in action point, rewrite the story.  What could have happened if you took a different turn?  What could have happened if you said something different? What could have happened if you leapt into action instead of standing still?  Could a relationship have been saved?  Could a person’s pain have been lessened?  Could a personal goal have been fulfilled? 

From that point forward, rewrite the story.  Include the details that would make sense related to the story’s events.  Keep within the time and setting as much as possible (so do not add in a cell phone into an incident from 1994).  Put words into the mouths of the people involved in this incident to make it as real and true as possible.  We are rewriting history, so we want to do it justice.  
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As you are rewriting this incident, what is the outcome that you wish you could have created the first time around?  What did you want to happen in this incident?  Whatever it is, identify it.  Then write it.  Write out exactly what happened.  Include the dialogue between the people who were there, include the effects of the weather, the details in the surroundings, and the shifts in tone and mood as well.

This technique of rewriting the past can be used over and over to create a sense of relief and a release of regret from past situations that went poorly.  There is no reason why anyone should have to carry around the miserable weight of remorse and shame.  Instead, rewrite those stories so that they more closely match the person you are today and reflect the goals that you are working on now.  Then focus your energy on your current goals rather than worrying about what could have been.  
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