I traveled to Chicago last week-end to be involved in one of my other loves — singing. With rehearsals close to eight hours a day, there was little time for writing. I managed a few lines in my journal before gong to sleep, but that was all. But did I forget about writing? No. I thought about it all the time. I thought about characters, situations, and settings that I could use in future writing. I listened to conversations and observed people. I experienced the week-end.
If you make a commitment to write, I don’t think you can ever take a break. You may take a break from actually sitting at the computer and putting in your daily quota of time or word count, but the ideas are always churning in your mind. And you always have a pen and paper with you, because you might want to jot something down for future use.
Writers live in an inner world of words and ideas, and it is a world that never goes away. So I take a break when my life goes that direction, but I am always a writer. The stories are there, and I will write them.
I used to be a teacher in another life time, and that profession was the same. I was constantly looking for ideas and materials that I could use in my classes, even when I was on vacation. What other professions are life-consuming like writing and teaching? Do you need a break once in a while, or is it something you love so much you want it to consume you?