I've been thinking a lot lately about the merits of rest.
Particularly, how to rest without destroying momentum.
A non-writing example: from March until November, I play soccer twice a week for a few adult leagues here in Baltimore.
But come December, I take a break to recover, often focusing on strength training at the gym to prepare myself for the coming year.
The training is rest, but it's productive rest.
I've been thinking lately how to apply this as a writer.
While writing isn't a physical endeavor, it's absolutely a mental one, which makes me wonder what productive rest even looks like.
Is it replacing your manuscript for a daily journal?
Writing poetry instead of research papers?
Or maybe productive rest isn't trading one kind of writing for another, but doing something entirely different. Sudoku. Watercoloring. Long walks.
I don't have an answer. And I don't believe there is one.
Instead of finding the answer, I'm focusing this month's Pitcher & Pebbles on rest. I have a hunch, with the holidays and all, that rest is on everyone's minds.
(And if you need a refresher on P&P, read up on last month's edition.)
1. Read: Rest Is My Rebellion by Brian Rosta
I found this Medium article extremely cathartic (apologies if a paywall gets in the way). In Brian's words:
"When you rest, you aren't avoiding the work. You're giving it space to breathe. You’re letting your subconscious do its job. You're restoring your capacity to actually care about the thing you're making."
Too often we treat rest as indulgent, when really it might be part of the creative process.
2. Read: The science of how rest makes you a better writer by Denise Cullen
Don't let the word "science" in the title scare you away. Rest isn’t just a break from writing. It’s when your brain files ideas away, forms new connections, and solves problems in the background. Denise Cullen breaks down the science behind why stepping away from the page can actually make you a sharper, more resilient writer.
3. Practice: Character Development Writing Prompts
This guide was written by yours truly. One of my favorite aspects of fiction writing is developing my characters. It doesn't feel like work at all and is something I tend to fit into the margins of my day when I feel like daydreaming with a pen and notebook in hand. It's a fun way to engage in your work, even while resting.
4. Book: Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami
I read Haruki Murakami's novel 1Q84 not too long ago before learning about his strict writing routine (which checks out, 1Q84 is a behemoth of a book). Ten written pages a day, every day, sounds improbable in today's world. But Murakami keeps a rigorous daily schedule that counterbalances his creative output with rest, leisure, and exercise. We don't need to push ourselves to his level, but it's worth asking whether we're taking purposeful rest at all. (Related video: one guy tries Murakami's daily routine for a week)
5. Curveball: The Unexpected Value of Boredom for Well-Being and Creativity by Jeffrey Davis M.A.
In this Psychology Today article, Jeffrey Davis argues that it isn't necessarily rest that we need to be more creative, but the ability to be bored. When we stop filling every spare moment with stimulation, the mind finally has room to wander, connect ideas, and surface insights we usually miss. It's a nice reminder that a little boredom can act like a reset button for the imagination. (And another reminder to check out this handy dandy device to eliminate phone distractions).
6. Quote:
"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."
— Anne Lamott
Hope you enjoyed this handful of pebbles. Now get some rest!
Talk soon,
Declan Wilson
WriterGadgets.com