The Writing Crash — coming off of the Writing High

 Writing 

Hello, my friend! 

Happy first day of July! Today I want to share about a thing I call The Writing Crash. 

But first I want to give a writing update. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that as of the 25th of June, I finished the first draft of my new summer book: A Hawaiian Summer! 

This book has made me so happy, in ways no other book has before. I love this book and the characters SO much! (Also, if you check my Instagram, you will see some aesthetics for the book under the highlights or you can check my Pinterest to see the full aesthetic). 

This leads to the topic of The Writing Crash. 

So without further adieu, let's dive right in!  

What happened after I wrote A Hawaiian Summer 

I did not experience this (The Writing Crash) when I wrote my first book last November. This experience actually came as a shock. 

Late Saturday night, I started feeling off. I was tired and kinda grumpy and frustrated and I didn’t understand why. Why am I feeling like this? I just finished writing the happiest book, so why am I like this now? I should be celebrating. 

You see, that is the thing. Two things happened when I finished A Hawaiian Summer. 

• I just finished the book 

• I just finished the story 

Let me explain. 

Finishing the Book (What the Writing Crash Is) 

I finished the book. When that happened I experienced The Writing Crash. I like to think of this as a sugar crash. 

Think of it this way, when you have a lot of sugar you go from your baseline of how you normally feel to all of a sudden energized and hyper and happy. Once that begins to wear off, you start to crash. You feel tired, sad, exhausted, lacking motivation, etc. You experience a crash from your sugar high, going back down to normal. 

The same thing I am learning is true to writing. When I start writing I get excited, I’m happy, I am pumped up and that is The Writing High. Once I finished my book and I returned to normal life, I experienced a crash the same as I would with sugar. 

Here is a graph showing what this looks like. 

Finishing the story 

Besides the Writing Crash, I also had/have to go through a book mourning process. This may sound weird but it is true. 

I just finished writing this story and now it is done. There is a bit of a mourning process. It is sad being done (yes I have edits to do but I’m not actively writing the story, I’m not experiencing it in the same way). 

I think it hit me harder this time because this is a standalone (with connections). This is the only story I am writing about these two characters who I love so much. They are like my friends and now they are gone (that’s sad). My writing of their story ends at the end of A Hawaiian Summer. They will still go on with their lives, just not with me documenting it. 

That is really sad. 

I love these characters so much and it is sad to think this is my only and last time telling their story. 

The difference between A Hawaiian Summer and the first book I wrote, is that the first book is a series so I wasn’t saying goodbye forever, while this book feels a bit like I am saying goodbye forever. 

I know it is dramatic but that is how it feels to me. This is probably why I have more ideas that lean towards a series than a standalone. 

Permission to TAKE A BREAK 

This is going to sound a bit strange but if I needed to hear it, maybe you do too. 

Mourn. Be okay to mourn when you finish something, especially something you love that gives you happiness and life. Let yourself go through that grieving process of closing this chapter in your life. Cry, play sad songs, eat ice cream, do whatever you need to do to close this part of your life, and start again. 

I recommend going for a week. You don’t have to cry for a week. But I say take a week off when you finish a project you love. Say goodbye. Celebrate the journey. Do something fun for yourself. Reward yourself. 

Let yourself go through and feel the emotions. It is healthy for you. 

This is something I am working on and learning about myself. I need this week of celebrating and saying goodbye. I need it for my mental health (remember, as a writer I live in my mind creating the story so I need a healthy mind and mindset to be able to write and create). Taking a mental break is actually good for me. Being a writer, I need those breaks to be able to create what I do. 

Honestly this post I am writing for myself. This, taking a break, is a struggle for me. I always want to be doing something, accomplishing something, and being great. It is HARD for me to take a break. 

Do you know the song for Hamilton “Take a Break” when Eliza and Angelica and trying to get Hamilton to take a break but he doesn’t because he can’t make himself stop? THAT IS ME! 1000% I can’t take a break. 

So this is something I am learning slowly to do. To be able to take a break. 

If you struggle with taking breaks, I challenge you, like I’m doing, to take a break for a week after you finish your big project, your new novel, and feel all the feels and celebrate and mourn and congratulate yourself on what a good job YOU did. You accomplished something great. Enjoy it! 

Already taking a break and letting myself feel for the book and celebrate and enjoy myself, I feel better and happier! My mind is clearer and I have the energy to do the next thing. 

You will not regret taking a break. Just give it a day! 

This isn’t a forever thing. This is only a break before going back to creating whatever it is you want to do. 

Think of it as a reset button. 

You take a break to reset yourself so you can better do your passion, job, or what it is you love. 

If you liked this post…

• The 4 keys to creating powerful addictive characters who feel real! 

• Backstory: how your past affects your present    

• What I’m working on in June — I’m writing a new book! 

• Getting lost in a character— how my writing affects my emotions and mentality 

Discussion Time

Thank you so much for reading this post! I hope you liked this Writing post about The Writing Crash. 

I want to hear from you! Comment below and tell me if you liked this post about writing. Tell me, if you are a writer, do you get this too? After writing a book, do you experience the Writing High and the Writing Crash? I would love to chat! 

Be sure to subscribe to this blog to stay in the know because I post new content here every week (Fable Rose Fridays). 

XOXO Moriyah 💛