"A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing."
--Eugene Ionesco
It's the first week of June and I haven't seen the sun this month. What I've experienced are temperatures barely in the 50s and loads of rain. A little sunshine would make me the happiest writer alive right about now, but that ain't happenin'. So I'm just going to sit here and stare at this photo for a while. You're welcome to join me. . .
Ahhhh, don't we all feel better now?
Have you ever taken a vacation from writing? I have. But I agree with Mr. Ionesco, a writer never has a vacation. Seriously. I don't think I can go more than a few hours without thinking about some aspect of writing. Earlier this week I even dreamed I was in my story. Scary! But that's just all part of living the writer's life, eh? We wouldn't have it any other way.
How about you? Have you ever tried to stop thinking about writing? Did you succeed?
I was late to the game and only started writing seriously at age 50. Before then, I actually managed vacations. NOW, every "vacation" my mind is constantly analyzing situations, characters and scenes as well as writing, writing, writing in my head! At least it helps me pay more attention to where I am and what I'm doing lol.
ReplyDeleteBut we still have loads of fun, right? Good to meet you here, Ruth. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI take a few days off here and there but I find it's not so good for my writer soul to do that. I get antsy and then start doubting myself. Better to just keep on playing a word at a time.
ReplyDeleteAnd that writer soul must be kept happy. ^_^
DeleteI am so with you on this one. It seems that I think about writing all the time. Even when I am "vacationing" I call it "filling the well," and often spend it thinking of the ways I can use my "vacation" experiences IN MY WRITING. Sheesh, talk about a busman's holiday. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe writer brain has no on/off button. ^_^
DeleteNo, but I don't think I could keep it up for long. I go for short stretches of time without thinking about stories, but my mind invariably turns back to some idea or another.
ReplyDeleteWhich is a good thing, right?
DeleteAlways thinking about it...even when I'm not actually doing it. So, no, never a real vacation. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat occupied our minds before we started writing?
DeleteI love that picture!
ReplyDeleteFor me, writing is the vacation. So much else that I do in life, I do because I have to. Work, obligations, chores. Writing is the fun part, the part I look forward to, the reward.
Still, sometimes I take a little break from it to refill the well. Usually not for long, though--maybe a week or so.
"Writing is the vacation."
DeleteI love that!
I love that quote. It's so true. I've been on "vacation" for the past 6 days, and not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about writing. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope you're having a wonderful, wonderful time!
DeleteI completely agree. True vacation is a thing of the past. I always at least have my writing notebook, and I can't look at situations or think of things without wanting to note it down in my book, or think of a story I could write with it. If I don't have my notebook or my laptop, or even a piece of paper to write something down on, I get *very* antzy.
ReplyDeleteI try to have a notebook on me at all times, but when all else fails, I can usually find a napkin. ^_^
DeleteThank you for that picture! Longing for summer....
ReplyDeleteI've occasionally taken some intentional time off writing, but like JRo, I get antsy before long. I do better when I give in to my obsessive nature and spend all my time either writing or thinking about writing. ;)
No use trying not to think about it, eh? Doesn't work anyway.
DeleteI agree. The mind doesn't shut off an inspiration can smack you in the face whenever the hell it feels like it. On the upside once we scribe we're free, for a moment. But we can't let the mind overwhelm us so much so that we cannot enjoy time away. Aw hell, we're never resting are we?
ReplyDeleteNever. ^_^
DeleteOh yes! I'm just coming off of a vacation from writing. But you are right, you never stop thinking about it for long:)
ReplyDeleteEspecially now that you have an agent. You'll be thinking about writing in your sleep. ^_^ Congrats again.
DeleteI did stop writing and stopped thinking about it for a long time. Biggest regret. Now, when I take a vacation from writing, I don't stop thinking about writing.
ReplyDeleteThere are way worse things to think about than writing, right?
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