With everyone’s busy lives nowadays, sometimes we have problems getting time to write as much as we would like.
Sure, we can read Write a Novel in 10 Minutes a Day by Katharine Grubb and plan our writing that way.
I’m sure most of us still work outside the home either part-time or full-time. Not very many writers make a living from this craft.
The rest of us are stuck finding ten minutes here and ten minutes there to write. If we’re lucky, we might even get more than ten minutes at a time.
But what if you had a whole weekend to do nothing but write?
How would you plan the perfect writing weekend? Where would you go? What would you do? Would you only write, or would you take time for you?
Where you would go
First of all, I have one favorite place I like to go — the beach. However, living in the landlocked state of Indiana doesn’t give me the opportunity to hop in a car and go to a sandy beach in the south.
I could find a beach here on a lake, but that wouldn’t be the same.
Lakes usually aren’t that beautiful. The water is dirty and unclear and not much to look at.
Besides, they may have waves, but nothing beats the sound of the ocean.
That’s right — the ocean.
During my years of existence, I’ve been to several beaches in Florida and South Carolina.
Let me tell you. Nothing beats the sounds and sights of a vast ocean staring back at you.
Even if people surround you, the ocean can drown out the sound of their voices.
If driving to a southern state was doable, then give me a small beach bungalow any day. One of those with windows across the front so I have the ocean’s inspiration.
Of course, an ocean beach isn’t possible in the forty-eight hours of a weekend. At least for me, it isn’t.
So, a cabin in the woods or perhaps even a quick trip to Kentucky’s mountains would work.
I’ve seen enough pictures from my readers’ personal Facebook pages to realize that the mountains could make for a perfect writing weekend. They would also be more doable.
What would you do
Write, of course. That was the whole idea, right?
For the most part, yes.
Writers not only need to put words down on paper or on a computer screen, but their bodies needs a rest as well.
When we are less stressed and rested, we can write better.
Right now I force myself to write each day because one of my goals this year was to write 1000 words a day.
However, the writing itself can cause stress. Knowing I have to hit 1000 words a day makes me anxious some days because I don’t know what to write.
When I have a blog post or a newsletter to do, then the stress goes away quickly.
But I am having a hard time outlining the third book of my trilogy and finding freelance jobs. The stress gets to be too much as times.
What do I do for a break from writing
Take a short hike in the woods. Breath some of that fresh country air.
If you are lucky enough to be at the ocean, then walk along the beach either in the morning or at night or both.
If you have a nice bathtub, take a bubble bath and listen to relaxing music. This can be done at home, but imagine what it would be like to be some place else. Maybe you are even lucky enough to not have your children there.
Take time to read some books for pleasure. You know they do say the more reading you do the better the writer you are. I try to read as much as I can.
Of course, if you can’t afford to go anywhere, pampering yourself at home can be done. But it would require the assistant of other adults if you have children.
I can picture my perfect writing weekend. What about you?