I took a break from writing. It wasn’t planned. It just happened. I went to my home country for five weeks and, while there, I didn’t write anything. Even though I came back from vacation two weeks ago, I only felt ready to get back to writing today. All in all, I haven’t written anything in almost two months.
I learned two lessons from this break:
- I love writing, but maybe I love listening more. When I was in Romania (my home), I was surrounded by wonderful storytellers. I think it’s a gift most Romanians have: making ordinary events into beautiful stories. I didn’t listen to those stories for inspiration. I listened to them because they were wonderfully told. I was captivated. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard or lost track of time while family and friends talked about things they did or things that happened to them. It was … perfect.
So, the first lesson I learned is that we’re never too old nor too jaded for stories. Keep that fact in mind if you ever wonder whether it makes sense to write anything when there are already so many books and so many good writers out there. My advice is to stop wondering and start writing (or telling) great stories. People will always stop and listen.
- Great storytellers can make me put my books down.
It’s been almost a decade now (yes, I’m old) that I’ve become a little impatient, to put it mildly, around people. For some reason, I’ve been having trouble getting/staying engaged in most conversations. I’ve been reading or making up stories instead. While in Romania though, get-togethers that were supposed to last an hour or two stretched into all-nighters filled with fun and genuine enjoyment of other people’s company.
Usually, during parties, family dinners, or other small gatherings, I zone out. I retreat to my own made-up worlds. Now, fading into la-la land is a trait that most writers share and there’s nothing wrong with it. On the contrary. Still, it felt good to stay in the real world, with real people not because I forced myself to, but because it was fun.
So, the second lesson I learned (which isn’t much different than the first lesson, come to think of it) is that great storytelling and great company can pull me out of my shell and keep me out of it for a while. I’ll never become a social butterfly, but at least I’ll stop being a total recluse.
Now that I’m done with my vacation and my writing break, I’m looking forward to sharing more awesome blog posts (like this one) and wonderful stories. Have fun writing, everyone.