How To Slow Down Without Losing Your Flow

I tend to finish big writing projects in December even though I don’t plan it that way.

In 2015, I finished the first draft of my novel fifteen months after I started it. The next year, December 2016, I finished a big revision of that manuscript. And in December of 2017, the same thing. Another book overhaul under my belt. This wasn’t on purpose, though!

I’ve found that writing, like life, comes in seasons.

This time of year always feels like a very particular writing season to me. Maybe it’s the dwindling number of daylight hours or the fact that so much energy goes towards the holidays, but December usually feels like a winding down in my writing life.

As the year ends, I finish lingering projects and let them marinate, or start playing with smaller pieces to see what they might want to be. It’s a low-pressure, low-stakes time.

I don’t usually begin major revisions or start new, longer projects in early winter.

If you’re like me and you slow down a bit in December, I have some thoughts on how you can do that without losing your writing flow completely.

Because it IS possible. You can slow down and still sustain your writing life, even if all you want to do is hibernate until May.

Reality Check: You don’t have to be productive all of the time.

There’s nothing wrong with letting there be phases of higher and lower productivity throughout the year.

You’re not a machine. Just because we live in a culture obsessed with hustling and grinding and going nonstop (so very tired of the word hustle, I can’t even tell you), it doesn’t mean that’s the right or best way to succeed.

I would argue that people who honor slower periods in their creative lives are probably more successful and productive anyway. Rest is an important part of the creative equation, too.

Recognize the need for your creative output to ebb and flow and be accepting of it. Don’t let it be a source of guilt or shame even if everyone else is burning the candle at both ends.

If you spend your time savoring the moment, sleeping, reading, or simply existing under a blanket on the couch, that is truly ok.

Be extra mindful about the writing you are doing and only work on the things you’re most excited about.

Unless you have deadlines to meet, prioritize your writing based on what feels the most energized at the moment and just work on that. Don’t worry about anything that doesn’t light you up right now (again, unless you have to).

If you’re slowing down and doing less, you might as well enjoy the work you’ve chosen to focus on, right?

Lightening your load also reduces overwhelm. If you have fewer pieces in the works, you won’t risk being overwhelmed by having to choose what to work on when you do sit down to write.

And honestly, you should always enjoy what you’re working on, but that’s especially true when you’re slowing down. If you’re excited about the work you’re doing, you’ll be more likely to turn to it when you have the energy and the time.

Have a plan for what’s next so you don’t lose all your momentum.

Say you’re wrapping up a big project and taking some time away from it. That’s a great idea and I highly encourage it, but the momentum you built while doing that project is going to be vital in propelling you into what you want to write next.

So to hold onto that momentum while you’re slowing down, be sure to create a plan for what’s next.

For example, you might finish a draft of your book and decide that you’ll take four weeks away from it then on X date you’ll start reading it to see what you think. In the interim, maybe you plan to write a short story or submit an essay you’ve been meaning to send out.

The key is allowing your pace to slow while still keeping your finger on the pulse of your writing.

It doesn’t have to be one or the other. You’re allowed to write less and live your life a little more. Check in with your writing, yes, but remember that experiencing life and getting rest are vital parts of being a writer.

Do you have writing “seasons” too?

How do you slow down without losing your flow?