Takin' a Break
My journey as a writer on Vocal and beyond
I have not been as active or reciprocal as I should be, and for that, I do apologize. However, I do not have the bandwidth or energy to focus my creative attention primarily on Vocal at the moment. I have missed your stories dearly, and I regret not being able to read as much as I would like.
I was thinking of not writing anything at all, but I figured it would be best to let people know that I am okay! I am happy and healthy; I'm just focusing my output on sources of writing that are really important to me and take a lot out of me.
I will be spending the month of October revising my book from the ground up. I am so very grateful to the beta readers who took time out of their lives to read my work and offer me valuable feedback. I heard some great things, and I heard some hard things, and I'm so ready to make this book the best it can be due to my readers' outstanding critique.
Many of the beta readers are writers here on this website, and I am forever grateful to Vocal for connecting me with them. I am so proud and honored to be a part of such a welcoming and creative community. It's made all the difference in my writing, and I'm excited to share this final product with the world in the coming months.
I will also be participating in my first-ever NaNoWriMo during the month of November. I have a few ideas about what I'd like to do, and I'm excited to tackle this challenge. Discipline is not my strong suit, and I believe this will be a big test of my patience.
So, what on Earth does "Takin' a Break" mean in this context? Basically, I will be online, just not as frequently as I would like to be. And if I'm being completely honest, my break started a couple of weeks ago. I've had a lot going on both professionally and personally that has eaten any free time I normally spend on producing/consuming content on here.
For example, I spent 4 days last week completely renovating my "Salinger Shed."
Yes, this was an excuse to show off a project I'm very proud of. I did it affordably and all by myself. First time using an electric sander for the win!
I've been putting a lot of energy into physical projects and being more present in my "outside" life. Fall is my favorite time of year (Spring is too, just depends on what's in season, lol), and I'm feeling invigorated and creative more than ever. I'm actually getting Deja Vú while writing this, so I'm sure I've had these same feelings in the past around this time.
That said, my creativity is pulling me in other directions. I am still writing frequently, and even when I'm not writing, I'm thinking about things to write about. I think that's something that people just do when they're writers. It's a habit, and I'm grateful for it because I'm sure, when I'm ready to come back "full time," I'll have plenty of stories to fill your feeds ;)
All jokes aside, I will be attempting to participate in challenges during my short "break". You might see a notification from me here and there when I find spare time to read a few stories. And I'm planning a NaNoWriMo series for the month of November. Maybe a check-in once or twice a week to talk about the process. Haven't decided yet, we'll just have to see how it goes.
So, if you're participating in NaNoWriMo, feel free to add me as a buddy on https://nanowrimo.org/. My username is ashleylimawrites.
I am also active on Discord, where my username is ashnotketchum, if anyone needs to reach out to me for any reason. (Yes, it's a pokémon reference).
Hope everyone has a wonderful Fall season. I'll see you when I see you!
About the Creator
Ashley Lima
I think about writing more than I write, but call myself a writer as opposed to a thinker.
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More stories from Ashley Lima and writers in Journal and other communities.
On Creative Burnout
I've hit a wall, and I'm probably burnt out creatively. I've been thinking to myself: I can't be burnt out right now. In fact, I feel like I'm in a sort of creative flow at the moment. I've been writing frequently, and big ideas have been at the forefront of my mind, so how can I sit here and make this claim?
By Ashley Lima9 months ago in Journal
When the Robots Took My Job
This is for RM Stockton's Write Club prompt for the month of April: AI Please allow me to vent. For "college," I went to a scam school that is now closed. We were promised internships that were never spoken of again after admissions, and we were promised help finding jobs. The first time I went to the career counselor's office, she was completely frazzled. She had no idea what to do with us, the film majors. The second time I visited her office, I let her know that I'd found myself a job, and she was visibly relieved.
By Rebekah Conard5 days ago in Journal
Comments (35)
Glad you were doing okay and hope you are still doing okay! Congratz on your top story! I feel ya in the sense that personal life and professional life takes precedence and I often feel like if my stories/poems/works on Vocal really matter. However, I know that what I have focused on in real life, will help me and my family's future. I would love to spend my entire life reading and writing but alas, I do not have enough comfort or stability on Vocal to be able to do that. Congratulations on your home projects and keep at it! Continue to develop in new projects and ways that will make you feel proud of yourself as will I. Cheers to you and hope you have a lovely rest of your day and a good weekend! ^^
It is always goo dto give yourself a break
Thank you for writing this Ashley - I had to do a break myself recently and I missed your Beta feedback window! Do tell me if you'd still like the feedback! Well done on your brilliant renovation! Keep it up!
Never apologize for taking time for projects that make you happy! I wish you well with your book! Also, loving the update on your Salinger room; it looks like the perfect place to write!
Love it ❤️
I'm so happy you are keeping your priorities. It can be difficult maintaining both, without one feeling the strain. Good luck with your projects, and I look forward to seeing what you are doing. Congrats on the top story
Good for you to recognize and do what’s best for you. Happy Writing and good luck in your projects. I am rooting for you! See you soon! PS- Taking bids on a home improvement project…. Interested? 🥰
Congratulations on a well-deserved Top Story! I've been considering a break, myself and have slowed down considerably, although I'm still trying to keep up with comments and replies. I'm at sort of a "sh*t or get off the pot" point in my life and Vocal may take more of a back seat soon, at least for a while. I'm also taking a serious look at NaNoWriMo. It could be just the kick in the pants I need.
We all need to take a break sometimes, Ashley! 🥹❤️ I've been on one for awhile now and I also feel guilty that I have not been around as much (or as reciprocal!) You will be missed, but you will always be welcome when the time is right for you to come back! Best of luck with your endeavors! 🤗❤️❤️ Congrats on Top Story!
Life is all about balance, and sometimes those scales tip in a way that provides us more time and energy on certain endeavors, and sometimes we must take a pause to focus our energy into other endeavors. Thanks for sharing.
Truly appropriate sharing as many (myself included) find difficulty in online presence for one reason or another but want 'the community' to know we still got writer's heartbeats. As mortal beings, I'm sure we all can understand. Great top story!
Great work! Congratulations on your Top Story,
Great work! Congratulations on your Top Story,
Realizing what you do and do not have the bandwidth for is the key. Congratulations on Top Story!
Congrats! Have a wonderful time out. 🤗✌️
Ashley, congratulations on Top Story!!! ❤️❤️💕 You have a lot on your plate!!! Fabulous story & a the best with your book and Noveber's NaNoWriMo!!!
Congrats on Top Story! What are you planning to write for NaNo?(I'll be creating a second draft of my murder mystery :))
Whatever you need, do it! Now get to work! Top Story! 🏆
Good luck with whatever writing experience you wish to participate in, especially with your book. The "shed" looks great.
Your Salinger Shed looks fantastic! You're incredible! Also, is that your dog? I wish you all the best for your writing! Lol, ashnotketchum! 🤣
Your Salinger Shed looks awesome! I hope your break is filled with the joy of creative and Nano is an invigorating and wonderful experience! 🤍
Your Salinger Shed is absolutely adorable. Hope it is helpful to you in all your creative endeavors. And good luck on NaNoWriMo!
“I'm just focusing my output on sources of writing that are really important to me and take a lot out of me.” Same! So glad to know you’re okay. 🩵
that transformation is impressive!! also I just created my page and found you on NaNo! 🥰
Sometimes we just need to take a step back from certain aspects of our lives so we don't feel overwhelmed. I love your Salinger Shed!