Vacation... Really?!

When you let a blog sit for too long without posting, does it develop cobwebs? Or are they “blogwebs?” Good thing for me my book isn’t about humor, right?

There’s been lots of personal activity since my last post that doesn’t really have to do with writing. Trips to New York to visit an ill relative (all good now) and drama surrounding vehicle repairs and state inspections unexpectedly made their way onto the agenda. In addition, I took not just one but two vacations in April. Which got me to thinking, can you really take vacations from writing a book? I’m certain this is true, the more amusing question is, when you don’t work as hard as a “real job” might require, should it be considered a vacation?

The truth is it does make a difference. Putting the work down and not thinking about it for a while helps to come back a litter fresher. Additionally, being “on vacation” brings back memories of regular work routines and reignites the desire to accomplish things. There’s something about travel that makes you think your world could be very different and fresh ideas about how that could happen seem to appear. Since returning from these vacations I’ve had better discipline and work output than previously and I continue to feel motivated.

Steven King doesn’t speak of vacation, but he does talk about writing your first draft and then putting it aside for six weeks before coming back to it and reading it as though it’s the first time. I’ll likely try this when I have anything that resembles a first draft, however I have visions that by the time I have something that’s close to a completed draft, it will be beyond the standard of a first draft.

Another area I’ve turned to for motivation is a different form of structure. What’s the primary reason for any job? To be compensated of course, however the factors of my situation don’t really allow for that at the present moment. So, someone suggested to me, “Why don’t you write yourself a check every week like you’re getting paid for what you do?” It was an intriguing thought and it actually made its way into my routine. I calculated some hopeful amounts and timetables and came up with what my weekly paycheck should be. Since I already track my word count as part of this process, each week I include the number of words I added on the memo line. Sometimes (okay, most times) there’s a twinge of agony knowing that I’m “getting paid” for that amount of work. “Couldn’t you get more done in a week?!” is generally the self-deprecating question. So while guilt is not a favorite tool of mine, in this case I’m using it gently to keep reminding me that this is work and when finished there’s likely some financial payback, however modest.

Finally, there’s that all important “human interaction” aspect that I noted in a previous post. Having people that are interested in your work or are willing to discuss topics of concern helps to sharpen your ideas and thoughts. I’m fortunate to have a few individuals to play this role and that benefits me immensely. Okay, one more of my sources of inspiration are the occasional news stories that I see indicating the population is drifting towards the ideas I hope to convey. Knowing not only that there’s a market for what you hope to produce but a growing one is possibly the biggest motivator for some people, but for me, I think it’s more of simply a reassurance.

Here’s to a great summer!