Rest and Recharge to find your creativity

I can’t believe it’s April already. The year is flying by. 
We are getting rain and sunny breaks here on the West Coast, which I know will produce gardens and more smiles. In February I couldn’t wait for spring break to arrive and now that it came and went, I’m still dazed by the warmth of Mexico and the vacation mindset. It’s hard to get back into the swing of things when my brain is stuck on sandy beaches and eating for pleasure. It seems to take me a few days to get back into routine. Before my vacation, I was finishing up on some writing but as the vacation days approached I found myself less interested in writing because my to-do list weighed on my creativity. 

I left my writing at home and brought a journal with me, and some colourful pens in case I had the urgency to write or on the ready when inspiration struck I was ready to ink up the pages. I’m sad to say, that only one day I managed to tap into my creativity and even that produced just thoughts, not real ‘writing.’ It wasn’t until the five-hour plane ride home was I inspired to draft a new story. 

Why do writers get the urge to write at the most untimely moments? I had half a week to come up with a plot. On a regular day, I could have the worst writing session, but as soon as I need to leave to pick up my kids from school, I have a thought and it’s when I write the fastest. 

If you receive the Write for Harlequin newsletter, you might have seen a call for submissions. They’re not looking for just any story though, they are asking for specific plots for their Harlequin Romance line. There are three scenarios to choose from. As soon as I read one of them, I was hit with an idea. Like, a flash of characters came to mind- physical appearance, personality, and a little back story. Sometimes this happens when my brain swirls with a lightly drafted novel. This time, however, I told myself to let the story breathe a bit. Draft up the idea, and let it sink in because there’s no pressure to write this book. Not yet. Come pitch day, it’s just a pitch not a fully written book.
I’ll see where this story takes me. 

I'm happy to say it's gotten me out of my writing slump. Those slumps are tough to get out of because the desire to write is strong. But, when you’re in between editing, hitting your word count, and wanting to change direction, consider responding to a publisher's special call or contest to rekindle your passion. 

Are you feeling uninspired? Needing to switch gears and write something new? Taking a break is worth it and it can also give your brain the much-needed rest to recharge. It’s amazing how the creative brain works when there’s no pressure to complete a task. Although, it’s hard when you’re in your process to stop and take a break, planning on a vacation or an extended long weekend might do the trick. There’s nothing wrong with taking a day off. 
Now that I’m back, it’s time to get writing.

I'd love to know what you do to rest your creativity. 
Let me know in the comments. 


Happy Writing!
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