Guest Blog 8
Rebecca Buchanan discusses when to take a breather with writing.
On the Importance of Saying No
by Rebecca Buchanan
As writers, we are often admonished to “never give up.”
Don’t quit, the old adage goes. Don’t abandon your dreams. Keep going. Keep creating, keep writing, no matter what.
After many, many years of constantly pushing myself — of long nights and early mornings, of increasing stress and desperation — I finally realized that the opposite is the case. We should be telling ourselves and one another, “Yes, give up.” We should be giving ourselves and one another permission to stop, to quit, to rest. We should be able to say “no,” especially to and for ourselves.
Every month, I write at least one new installment in a serialized novel (minimum three thousand words) as well as a stand-alone story or a shorter serialized work (another three to four thousand words). This is in addition to volunteering as the editor-in-chief of a literary nonprofit, beta reading other authors’ work, writing book reviews, crafting my own poetry, submitting to professional venues, and assembling my short story and poetry collections that are in varying stages of development.
All this while working full-time.
For some authors, that's easy. For me, it is just barely manageable. Usually. Now and again, though, it becomes too much. Work takes up more of my time and energy than expected. Family shows up and takes over the house. Illness. Home repairs. Garden projects. Life.
When that happens, I give myself permission to take a step back and say “no.”
Such was the case a few months ago. I was finishing up one serialized story, I had the first chapter for a new story complete, and I still needed to write the next installment of my novel. Three thousand words. But the deadline was fast approaching, work was chaotic, and a succession of guests was devouring my “spare” time.
Rather than attempt that next installment, I posted the first part of my new story at the deadline. I called it a sneak peek, a teaser for my readers; something they could look forward to next year.
Could I have written those three thousand words in between cooking, baking, cleaning, entertaining, and running errands? Maybe. But they would have been terrible words: rushed, unpolished, and unhappy. Not the words, not the story, that I wanted out in the world. Not the words that I knew that I could create if I had the focus, the energy, and the time.
So I said “no.”
And now I have the time.
The words have continued to evolve, the story to build and grow in my head. I can put it all together now, happily, without rushing, and still have the time to primp and polish before sending it out into the world..
My readers will have the story they deserve.
And so will I.
So give yourself permission. Maybe you just need to pause, to rest and regroup. Maybe you just need to sit still and let the idea work itself out in your head. Maybe you need to stop, for now, because you don’t have the words yet, but you will in five years when your skills have improved. Maybe you need to flat out quit, because this just isn’t your story to tell; it belongs to someone else.
So stop. Quit. Say no.
And, when the time and the words are right, say yes.
Rebecca Buchanan is the editor of the Pagan literary ezine Eternal Haunted Summer, and is a regular contributor to ev0ke: witchcraft*paganism*lifestyle.
She has been published in a wide variety of venues, a complete list of which can be found on EHS.
