Taking Time Out as a Writer

What to write or do next?

Shannon Yarbrough
4 min readMar 13, 2021
Photo Credit: pexels.com | jeshoots

With a finished novel under my belt and query letters currently sitting in numerous agent email boxes, I’m faced with the conundrum of what to do next. My finished novel took over ten years off and on to complete, so I’m mentally exhausted.

But I’m also one of those writers who feels the need to write every day. Even though I deserve a break, I can’t go very long without writing. So…what’s next?

I often has several unfinished manuscripts waiting in the wings. There’s a notebook on my desk filled with ideas that I’ve jotted down over time— some make sense and some don’t. I also keep a journal and try to handwrite in it a few times a week. I have a neglected blog that needs attention. My possibilities of what to write next are endless! I just need to pick something.

On Twitter this week, another writer asked what she should be doing in between sending out query letters. So, I’m not the only writer who has faced this problem!

During the Covid pandemic, I have been fortunate enough to keep working and didn’t have to face much disruption from my typical everyday schedule. If anything, with the world outside shut down, I have had more time to write at home than I did before. Since finishing the book, I’ve devoted a lot of time to researching and finding…

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Shannon Yarbrough

Writer, Poet, Artist, Gardener, Southerner, Reader, Blogger, Creative. Not always in that order. www.shannonyarbrough.com