How to Write When You’re Not Writing

For the last 12 months, I worked in a sort of creative fever on my latest novel. When I wasn’t at my day job, I was writing. When I couldn’t be writing, I was brainstorming. When I stopped writing to sleep, I felt like I was still trapped in the fictional world, not really resting but just waiting for my next opportunity to get back to work. It was productive, yes—but also exhausting.

When I finished the novel a few weeks ago, I knew I needed a break from writing. I was drained, and I needed to recharge. I needed a chance to fully exit my fictional world, to get some real sleep, and to let my creative well refill. So I stopped writing…and suddenly, I didn’t know what to do with myself.

We’ve all been here, at this awkward crossroads between projects or drafts. It’s an important step in the writing process, but it’s hard to switch from a full metaphorical plate to an empty one. Your writing rest stop doesn’t have to be unproductive. Here are some things you can do to further your writing career when you aren’t actually writing.

1. Read. Read widely, both in and out of your genre. Read about writing. Read something completely different. Take in other forms of storytelling, such as movies, TV shows, plays, even video games. You’ll be amazed how much you can learn from other storytellers.
2. Revamp your writing space. Nothing inspires me to get back to writing like a freshly cleaned, organized, or redecorated writing space. If you’re lucky enough to have a writing room, give it a fresh coat of paint or hang some inspirational artwork on the walls. If your writing desk has become choked with clutter, spend a weekend reorganizing. You’ll have a clean slate to go back to when you’re ready to start writing again.
3. Create something else. If you’re taking a break from a novel, work on short stories, essays, poems, or even blog posts. Get a head start on your query letter, synopsis, or pitch. Journal about your day-to-day life. Or try other creative outlets—painting, woodworking, gardening, competitive ice sculpting, whatever sparks your interest.
4. Research. Find agents or markets you want to submit to one day. Read up on an interesting setting or occupation you’d like to incorporate into a story. Listen to author interviews (the RMFW podcast is a great place to start).
5. Network. Attend a conference, find a critique group, or check out one of the many author events at local bookstores. Get involved in the countless writer-centric Twitter chats. Give yourself a dose of camaraderie by hanging out with other creatives.
6. Teach. You can learn a lot by sharing your skills with other writers. RMFW offers several opportunities to do this, including the Colorado Gold conference, the Online U classes, and the free programs (I’m doing one in July). Shameless plug: You can also teach on paper, by submitting a guest post to the RMFW blog here!

I hope these tips gave you some useful ideas. Now, I’m off to finish painting my writing studio…