If you'd told me even a month ago that not writing can be good for you, I'd have scoffed and gone back to slaving away at my MS. I was a firm believer that a writer had to write every single day. I still believe that a writer should write as much as possible, but I don't think there's any need to feel guilty about taking time for yourself to just unwind and get your head out of the work for a while.
I'm just back in the office after a 4-day weekend during which I barely even thought about writing. I got up in the mornings and played some Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I had breakfast with Jen when she got up. Then we went out for a few hours or had people over.
On Saturday night we went to the Batman Live show in the O2 in Dublin, which was fantastic. It was a very well put-together production with excellent multimedia elements and just enough campiness to make it family-friendly, but not so much that anyone over the age of 12 was going to cringe. Highlights include the self-driving Batmobile designed by a Formula-1 engineer, a comic book-style display on the massive bat-shaped screen behind the stage, and some non-show related moments like seeing two parents, one dressed as Robin and the other as Batgirl, with their two sons dressed up as Batman, and one lone child shouting "Batman! Behind you!" at one point in the show.
I've also started reading The Hunger Games and I'm loving it. The first-person present-tense narrative takes some getting used to, but I love Suzanne Collins' writing style. I could learn a lot from her.
I'm feeing quite nicely recharged and looking forward to getting back to work on my writing.
What do you find helps you recharge? What's your most guilty non-writing pleasure?
Oct 3, 2011
Benefits of Not Writing
Paul Anthony Shortt believes in magic and monsters. In ghosts and fairies. The creatures that lurk under the bed and inside the closet. The things that live in the dark, and the heroes who stand against them. Above all, he believes that stories have the power to change the world, and the most important stories are the ones which show that monsters can be beaten.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What a coincidence, I just took a few days off myself! It really did recharge me. I was afraid I'd go into withdrawals, but now I can't wait to get back to it. Glad you were able to unwind too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're recharged, Paul!
ReplyDeleteI like reading and watching televised biographies of artists and writers when I'm not writing. :) Going outside is a nice way to recharge, too.
Batman Live sounds like fun.
I think there are times when you need to take a break. For me, reading and relaxing -- with the laptop lid closed -- really helps!
ReplyDeleteLisa: I do go into withdrawals when I don't write. I just have to live with them!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth: It was great. We needed a night out to just be kids again.
Talli: I always feel unsettled when I'm not at a pc or don't have my netbook open.