When it’s Time for a Writer to Take a Break

A break. A vacation. A hiatus.

Every writer needs one now and then, but there never seems to be a good time to take one.

There's always another author event or book signing to participate in, another social media avenue to explore, or (shudder) another book to write.

And yet writers who do not take a break even when the going is good run the risk of burn out or going full out psychotic.

"Danger! Danger! Stressed out writer kills 11 at coffee shop and chains self to espresso machine."

Okay, that wouldn't really happen . . . maybe.  But taking a break is crucial to creative success.

This post marks the second anniversary of this blog (yay, me!), which makes as good a time as any to announce a hiatus.

How long will this hiatus last?  Not sure. However, there are many things I have left to explore and many more to come now that I've published my first novel, The Power Club™.

Some of the things I have yet to do include printing and selling physical copies of the book and updating and promoting the Power Club's own website (you can take a look at it here).

Then there's the possibility of a sequel, as well as other creative projects.

2013 is gearing up to be a hectic year on both personal and professional levels, so it's probably a good idea to take a breather while I can.

And while I've enjoyed writing The Semi-Great Gildersleeve on a regular basis, the weekly grind does get to be a bit much. I must say, however, that this blog has been beneficial in so many ways, including:

• being able to exercise the discipline of writing a blog every week.
• exploring a range of topics related to writing fiction and particularly writing super-heroes
• watching my list of followers (now at 20, not including me) and page views (now over 11,000) grow--thank you, everyone, for checking the site out!
• and being able to promote my work while sharing what I've learned along the way.

It's been a little over two and a half years since I embarked on the journey which led to the creation of this blog and, ultimately, to the publication of my novel. I couldn't have done this without a very supportive network of talented writers.

Some are members of the Monday Night Writers Group, the critiquing group of which I'm still a part.

Others are part of the "umbrella" group, The Kansas City Writers Meetup, which is still a vibrant and expanding community of writers.

Still others include bookstore owners, fellow professors, and artists who have given me insights and encouragement.

Thank you, one and all, for making this one of the most exciting periods of my life.

This is not the end of The Semi-Great Gildersleeve . . . only the semi-end.