Rejuvenating writing by not writing
May 24th, 2009 by Michelle Hasker
My friends all know what a struggle it has been for me to continue writing with this full time job I now have to have if I want a roof over my head and food on the table for me and my children.
I have downsized my volunteer work. I am now officially done until next September, and then when it starts back up again, I will be doing very little compared to what I used to. And though I am sad, I also feel this relief. It took away from not only writing time, but family time. I no longer enjoyed it.
Though I am no longer volunteering, I have put those four hours a week into something else. (Still not writing, though 
)
I have taken up Tennis! And I love it! So now I play tennis for about 3 to 4 hours a week, the same amount of time I spent volunteering, but I’ve found time to write. And the will to write. Why? Because I am doing something for me. Something that makes me happy. Something fun and freeing. Something that must have triggered my depressed muse into action. I love it! I feel better about myself, I have something to look forward to twice a week, AND I have now found that I WANT to write again.
I’m not sure everyone who is stuck in writer’s hell should take up Tennis, but perhaps if you found something that makes you happy to replace something that makes you unhappy, you will find yourself more relaxed, less stressed, and more able to write.
Good luck and happy writing!
I am so happy that you found something to do for YOU. And yeah, I do think that finding a personal, enjoyable outlet makes a huge difference in our muse attention/activity. I can’t wait to see more of your writing now that you are energizing yourself and your muse.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this desire to write translates into my actually writing now
[...] Rejuvenating Writing by Not Writing Feeling overworked and overwhelmed seems to be a theme this week. Here, erotic romance writer Michelle Hasker talks about her vacation from writing. Instead of BICHOK, she is playing tennis. And, the time away from the keyboard has rejuvenated her and made her want to the write again. Maybe the next time you feel overwhelmed, you should take a break rather than forcing yourself to write when you don’t want to. Of course, don’t give yourself too much time off; you don’t want to get out of the habit of writing. But remind yourself that a vacation every now and then is definitely a good thing. [...]