An Indie Life Post

I run away at least once a year. Granted, it’s usually during the month of November when I’m madly working on some manuscript or other. But I do. I take a break from all of it–the marketing, the editing, the plotting, the social networking… even the housecleaning. And I definitely run away from my email. Of course it piles up into the thousands, which means I run away from my inbox for a number of months after my break from reality.

So do I think this is wise, this self-exile? Sane? Well, perhaps not, but I do find it necessary. And I’m starting to notice other indie authors having similar hiatuses from time to time. I think that back in the day writing was a more solitary endeavor. At least that’s the cliche anyway. The chain-smoking, gin guzzling, fedora wearing middle-aged hack writer, churning out pulp fiction on clacky typewriters.

My how times have changed! Nowadays, we live much of our lives online, communicating, always communicating, and most especially with other authors. There is an incredible joy in that, in sharing such an exquisitely personal journey with the like-minded. Commiserating, congratulating, consoling–these are treasures that are to be cultivated. (Wow, that was a lot of alliteration right there, but hey, I’m still in my hobbit–well, more like Gollum–mode, so I cannot be held responsible for my actions.)

Yet, there are times when we all must break away, to focus, to plan, to plot. We need that deep-think time that’s so vital to our craft. A time to just let our minds roll through ideas and scenes and characters’ voices. To let our pens and our keyboards write the words of our hearts and the stories of our souls.

Embrace these times when your gut tells you to step back from the hum of daily living. Don’t feel guilty and don’t let others make you feel guilty. Your path is entirely your own. Do what you need to do to find and create fulfillment in your life and your career. I rather think that peace is what you will find in the end.