Everyone gets sick, even aspiring and professional writers. Today is one of those days where I had to take a Benadryl every 6 hours and it wasn’t pretty. However, even on days where I can barely get out of bed, there are a few things I do to make sure I don’t lose momentum on any current projects I have. For example, I’m in the middle of querying one novel and writing the first draft of another.
Tip #1: Drink water
While writing might be the primary thing you want to focus on, your body comes first. You can’t write if your body doesn’t get better, so proritize doing the things to get your body back to normal. For me, drinking water, gatorade, and any other hydrating liquids is number one. The second thing I make sure I physically rest. As someone who usually likes to do yoga and cycle, it’s hard to fall out of my daily routine but I know my body can only handle so much.
Next, I try to make sure I have nutritious but not heavy food. Soups and crackers, oatmeal, and other light things that I can stomach are always around when I’m sick. Rao’s glass jarred soups are my go to when I don’t have the energy to make a batch from scratch.
Tip #2: Keep a notepad or note taking app nearby
Even if you don’t have the energy to write, sitting around means there’s always the chance for random inspiration to strike. When you’re sick, you’re not always going to have the energy to go to your desk or computer to write out the ideas, but you don’t want them to slip away. I personally use my phone’s note taking app when I’m lounging in my sick bed, but it’s also not a bad place to have your journal within arm’s reach.
Don’t feel the need to write complete sentences or scenes, it can be as simple as “Character A needs to do this” or “Character B has a fear of heights” that spring to your mind when you’re randomly resting. A lot of my notes are bullet points during this time, trying to get everything out in as few words as possible so I can go back to napping.
This relates a little to the concept of an everything notebook that is used by many creatives. Some people don’t separate their personal journals from the work planner and notebooks, I tend to merge my personal journal and writing journal to lessen the number of physical books I need to carry around.
Tip #3: Reduce your screen time
While this isn’t necessarily for everyone, I find that I recover better when my brain is less stimulated. Sometimes there are comfort shows that I watch, something where I already know the plot and the emotions I’ll experience, but the majority of the time I find that it does take some energy to watch a new show. Whether it’s being emotionally invested in the plot or needing to focus on a complex story structure, I find that watching new media on a TV show or even shorter videos like Youtube and Tiktok don’t necessarily rest my mind. While it may reduce the amount of boredom I feel while recovering, boredom isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
I sometimes find that boredom is something that triggers my most creative spells and makes me reflect on what I like and dislike in my writing. These thoughts are especially critical to have when I’m a writer who is querying and need to be mindful of the agents I’m sending my manuscript to.
Am I pitching my manuscript in an attractive way?
Are the rejections I’m getting a sign I need to edit the manuscript and/or query letter?
Tip #4: Keep your thoughts grounded in reality
Querying writers are usually tasked with the impossible task of hurry up and waiting, and nothing can send you into a doom-thought spiral the way being stuck in a sick body can. But you need to keep in mind that the only thing in your power is sending out the queries, and if you did that, you’re farther than you were before.
So I hope you feel better, that you can rest as much as your body needs, and that you keep writing.
Love,
EJP