To be consumed while writing…

I mentioned the authorial coffee break last Thursday so thought it might be fun to shine a light on authorial breaks — besides brewing up the coffee pot and reflecting on the power and dynamism of nature as per last Thursday, which is pretty much all the time in a coastal environment.

To be honest, though, I don’t have coffee breaks as such, because I like to consume the dark and bitter beverage while working, so the only break that occurs is in the making thereof. 😉

The first thing that happens on actual breaks – very often, anyway – is that a whole bunch of “and thens”, plus “and alsos”, along with “don’t forgets” from the preceding writing rear their heads, so I have to keep a pen and paper handy and jot them down, or rush back to the writing desk and type them in before I forget. (Which is also why Pen and Paper was the very first entry for Artefacts Of The Writing Life.)

Essential for jotting down ideas…

After that, though, when I’m actually breaking, it may not surprise you to learn that I frequently read books – very often standing at the bench, with the book propped on the windowsill, while I eat my lunch or dinner.

When I don’t want to risk getting immersed (always a hazard when reading a good book), I’ll substitute a magazine as reading. New Scientist has been known to take its turn propped on the lunchtime sill, but—being a foodie—food magazines are a time-honoured favourite, especially since they don’t require me to think too much.

Not a magazine, but a time-honoured favourite

Because as you may well suspect, the WALL series takes a lot of thinking, especially now I am in the endgame with all those reveals and resolves to not only write, but get right. 😉 So the breaks need to be real breaks.

Although sometimes a change of mindset can be the best break, which may be why I’ve become a fan of puzzles and quizzes. The code cracker is my current favourite, but I enjoy all the word puzzles and most of the numerical ones as well—to which end I’ve only just started with sudoku, but I’m getting my head around it.

The risk with puzzles is that they can be immersive, too, but I find them a lot easier to put down than a good book. 🙂

Getting out into the great outdoors is also a good way of blowing away writing cobwebs – although when the southerly buster is ripping up from the Antarctic there can be a bit too much blowing away.

The aftermath of a recent southerly storm

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On another note, if you haven’t caught up with my Supernatural Underground post from 1 July, but are following the Magic in Fantasy series, the following link will take you there:

The Magic of Magic in Fantasy — & A Solstice Shift

Enjoy!

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Previous Bulletins From Inside The Writing Life:

• A Little About The Writing Itself
• About Those Muses, Then…
• Naturally Self-Isolating
• Writing Novels, Posting Blogs
• Another Milestone Ticked Off
• A Game Of Two Halves
• Further Reflection on Writing Transitions
• Fun With Friends
• Those Moments Of “Grr-Argh”
• Sometimes It’s A Case Of “Oh Frabjous Day!
• “O Frabjous Day” Reprised
• Listening To The Silence
• Characters Behaving Badly
• Many Placemarkers