April 1st, 2005
I read somewhere that Stephen King said he never takes more than one day off from writing because it’s just too hard to get back into it if he takes off more time than that. I can totally relate to this. Taking time off of writing for me sets me back days. I’ll sit back down at the keyboard and honestly feel like I have ADD. I just can’t concentrate on writing, my mind wanders, and the story is no longer fresh in my mind.
I’m presently suffering from this right now after spending the last week on promotional things and not writing. Now I need to get back to Alex’s story and it’s slow going. Even with the end planned out in my head, it’s like pulling teeth.
How long can you take off of writing before your ability to write suffers?
This really varies for me. If I’m full into something, I don’t like to stop until it’s done. Other times I’m just getting started and it sometimes takes a while to get going, and in that stage time away from it seems to help.
What I find hard is when I need to revise something and it’s been months since I wrote it and I have to get back into the story. I can get there, but it takes some effort!
by Charlene April 1st, 2005 at 8:25 amWhen I was (note I said WHEN) writing five days a week, even taking the weekend off used to mess with the flow of things. I completely understand what Stephen King is saying. I’d venture to guess that if I ‘ever’ manage to write another book, there will come a time when I stop taking days off. I also thought he was correct when he said it should never take you more than three months to throw a story down on paper. Any longer and the characters and story start to become stale. A wise, wise man.
by Jordan April 1st, 2005 at 8:29 amHmm, it depends. But usually not more than a couple of weeks, or I tend to get grumpy. Well, grumpIER than when I’m editing and things aren’t working
by Teresa April 1st, 2005 at 8:34 amJust a couple days messes me up. I’m easily messed up.
Good luck getting back into it!
by Amy K. April 1st, 2005 at 8:44 amI write every day, except when something big gets in the way. Even if it’s only for a couple of minutes. That way my muse never gets a chance to wander further than the bathroom or the kitchen. Though sometimes writing every day doesn’t help and I lose the wretched creature anyway. 9 times out of 10, I find it in the shower or it pounces on me just before I drift off to sleep.
When you find yours, Sylvia, beat it senseless.
by Annette April 1st, 2005 at 10:16 amStephen King has a wife. Wonder how she writes - if she gets time off or must deal with Life like most of us women?
by Katie April 1st, 2005 at 11:33 amI try to do morning pages every day - on days off the dayjob, I try to do more. I think I’m afraid to take off - like something will come and snatch my abilities from me if I do?? Scary.
Katie,
I agree with the wife factor for Stephen. I thought of that myself while penning my post. Wow, what I wouldn’t give to have someone here to clean the house for me, cook meals, shop, watch the kids, pay the bills, and do all of the many other things us women writers have to do.
by SylviaI agree with King. I write every day when I’m in a story, and then take weeks off between stories. That’s just how it works for me.
by Jill April 1st, 2005 at 12:03 pmOnly a day. After that, my head isn’t in the book anymore. What I’ve found is that sometimes when I start producing more pages than usual, I can build up to double my usual page count. It’s like building up speed. It gets easier when you train your mind in a particular habit.
by Michelle April 2nd, 2005 at 3:57 amTwo or three days off is usually enough to kill my will to write. I try for every day, though now that Snowbound is done, I’m taking some time off!
by Larissa April 2nd, 2005 at 7:12 amDepends, is the best answer I’ve got.
I sort of took a tangent on your topic over at my site, if you’d like to chime in. 
Now let’s see if I can decipher the spamchecker…*g*
by cw April 3rd, 2005 at 4:47 amIn Stephen’s defense, while the wife factor is massive (I sure wish I had a full-time nanny to take over when I. just. can’t. take. it. anymore.), he also managed to write several novels while living in a trailer with a wife and three babies and working massive amounts of time at a laundry.
Frankly, I think it’d be harder to write once you’re making a million (or in King’s case, fifty or so millions) a year. “Nah, I don’t need to get out of bed today.” I know a lot of people who would never set fingers to keyboard again.
by Diane April 7th, 2005 at 2:08 pm