{"id":39316,"date":"2021-07-05T06:30:02","date_gmt":"2021-07-04T18:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/?p=39316"},"modified":"2021-07-04T22:44:51","modified_gmt":"2021-07-04T10:44:51","slug":"inside-the-writing-life-the-authorial-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2021\/07\/05\/inside-the-writing-life-the-authorial-break\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Writing Life: The Authorial Break"},"content":{"rendered":"
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To be consumed while writing…<\/p><\/div>\n

I mentioned the authorial coffee break last Thursday<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

To be honest, though, I don\u2019t 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. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

The first thing that happens on actual <\/em>breaks \u2013 very often, anyway \u2013 is that a whole bunch of \u201cand thens\u201d<\/em>, plus \u201cand alsos\u201d<\/em>, along with \u201cdon\u2019t forgets\u201d<\/em> 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<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

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Essential for jotting down ideas…<\/p><\/div>\n

After that, though, when I\u2019m actually breaking, it may not surprise you to learn that I frequently read books \u2013 very often standing at the bench, with the book propped on the windowsill, while I eat my lunch or dinner.<\/p>\n

When I don\u2019t want to risk getting immersed (always a hazard when reading a good book), I\u2019ll substitute a magazine as reading. New Scientist<\/em> has been known to take its turn propped on the lunchtime sill, but\u2014being a foodie\u2014food magazines are a time-honoured favourite, especially since they don\u2019t require me to think too<\/em> much.<\/p>\n

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Not a magazine, but a time-honoured favourite<\/p><\/div>\n

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. \ud83d\ude09 So the breaks need to be real breaks.<\/p>\n

Although sometimes a change of mindset can be the best break, which may be why I\u2019ve 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\u2014to which end I\u2019ve only just started with sudoku, but I\u2019m getting my head around it.<\/p>\n

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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. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Getting out into the great outdoors is also a good way of blowing away writing cobwebs \u2013 although when the southerly buster is ripping up from the Antarctic there can be a bit too<\/em> much blowing away.<\/p>\n

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The aftermath of a recent southerly storm<\/p><\/div>\n

—<\/p>\n

\"\"On another note, if you haven\u2019t caught up with my Supernatural Underground post from 1 July, but are following the Magic in Fantasy<\/strong> series, the following link will take you there:<\/p>\n

The Magic of Magic in Fantasy — & A Solstice Shift<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Enjoy!<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Previous Bulletins From\u00a0Inside The Writing Life<\/em>:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n