Trying to break into publishing takes a lot. Hard work. Strong belief in your work and yourself. Dedication. Time. It can get to be overwhelming. Exhausting even.
It can be hard to write, illustrate, or submit work well when you’re worn out. I know, it can feel so pressing sometimes. You’re not going to get published unless you create great work and get it out there. We have to push ourselves!
I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors too:
You need to write every day to be a good writer
You have to submit in batches
You have to blog regularly
While good things can definitely come from this type of dedication, there are lots of published authors who don’t write every single day. You can make one submission at a time. They add up! Blogging regularly? Well, I think you have probably seen how good I am at that. People still seem to read my blog posts even though they’re sporadic.
The thing is, we can only do what we have the time and energy for. Maybe you have another job… children… commitments! Sometimes you need to have a break, and that’s okay. Honestly, writers and illustrators are always working. Observing. Taking in pieces of life and storing them away for later use. So, if you need a break, don’t feel guilty for taking one.
It’s refreshing!
*This post was written by a recovering work-a-holic
Sub It Club 
Would a 5 year break be excessive? đŸ˜‰ Thanks for voicing that it’s okay to not beat ourselves up, Heather!
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Nice post, Heather. It’s hard to take a break mentally, because even though sometimes I think I should be doing other things and having that bit of time off, I can’t seem to stop! But when I can hardly see out the windows and the floor has mega dust bunnies, I know it’s time to stop writing for a bit. It does feel good to come back to writing after a little bit away.
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I felt I had too much on my plate so I haven’t been blogging or socializing much. Ive been focussing my energies elsewhere like family and writing. Your post is timely since I have been feeling guilty lately. Thanks for making feel so much better! đŸ™‚
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Thanks Heather! Often very good work comes after a break. I know I usually need a nudge to step back, but it has paid off every time.
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