How Do You Re-calibrate?
Yes, you read that right. Writers sometimes need to re-calibrate. What I mean by that is writers have times when there is a flurry of activity either because of a deadline, edits or launching a book.
When these spikes in pace, laser focus, and energy pass, we are sometimes left with a feeling much like this:
Sometimes, with a little bit of this:
But mostly, it’s just:
Sometimes you get whiplash from having to come back to the real world after hanging out in your fictional world. I’m sure readers can relate. Readers call it a #bookhangover
Writers, well, have we got a hashtag for that yet? Okay, so this all might be a slight exaggeration, but it is a thing writers face to varying degrees.
When all the deadlines are met and there is a lull, how do you re-calibrate?
Some writers clean their house (since let’s face it when you are on a deadline, that’s not a priority) or they catch up on laundry.
Some bake a cake. (*Raises hand)
Others fly the coop….*cough, I mean, they go on a short vacation.
Whether you take a nap or binge-watch everything you missed, there is a period of adjustment. You’ve earned a break, so don’t feel guilty about that. However, there comes a time when you face your next steps. What are they going to be? Start a new book, story or blog post? Keep working on a little something you’d put aside? Pitch another manuscript?
Whatever it is, take a deep breath and allow yourself time to adjust. This may or may not result in short bursts of feeling guilty that you only wrote a shopping list today, or that you spent the day looking at home decor on Pinterest.
Or, it may result in a feeling of restlessness and feeling like you should be doing something else, only you don’t quite know what. Your adrenal glands have been working overtime when you were in high gear, now they are thanking you for the break.
Embrace it. Don’t fight it. Recognize it for what it is. It’s adjustment time (not like the Adjustment Bureau – so you can relax).
If you are a writer, I’d love to hear your coping techniques.
What do you do to re-calibrate?
Melony Teague writes contemporary romance with a dash of humor, she loves to inspire and motivate others through her written words, and she believes everyone has a story to tell. Melony is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and she is the co-author of As the Ink Flows, a devotional for authors. Her fiction debut, A Promise to Keep releases, Jan 21, 2020. Melony was born in South Africa and now lives in Toronto with her handsome husband, their two teenagers, and is the slave to two adorable cats.
Feature image: Photo by Qinghong Shen on Unsplash
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