Not this time.

I'm taking next week off and I am SO ready for it. I have blogs I want to write, articles I should finish beforehand – but it all amounts to doing double the work this week, and I just can't get my head into it.

The good news is I have fallen back into a regular writing routine after struggling for a few months there. But I'm afraid I'll slip right back into my funk when I take the entire week off.

On the other hand, we have some fun activities planned and haven't I said before that sometimes you just need to decompress and be inspired by life in order to have something that's worth writing about?

So really, the guilt and pressure are all self-imposed. How about a little self-imposed pleasure? Dip my toes in the pool, soak up some sun, eat some ice cream and get away for a while, right? It'll all be waiting for me when I get back.

My Works-In-Progress

• Well, it took a few weeks longer than I thought but I finally finished my tweet-inspired tale! Maybe once it finds a home, I'll spill the beans on whose tweet inspired me
• I haven't even started planning my WeSeWriMo project yet, not really! I've tried but keep getting stuck. Maybe my week off will allow my thoughts to settle and the perfect idea will come to me. I hope…
• Instead of driving myself completely insane, I'm going to hold off on my RPP idea until later. I haven't even looked at it since NaNoWriMo – I imagine it will need a lot of reworking, which isn't a bad thing. Sometimes the editing goes smoother than diving into something new
• I've been meaning to finalize my swag giveaway but it keeps getting pushed to the backburner. I'll need to tackle it when I'm back.

So, how to you cope with being constantly on the go and finding it hard to take some time for yourself? Think I'll be able to cope?!

Fellow WIP Wednesday posse:

• Jamie Eyberg – Vacation
• Aaron Polson – WIP Wednesday: "The End" Never Felt So Good

If you’re a writer participating in WIP Wednesday, post a link to your blog in the comments! More info on the WIP Wednesday initiative can be found at Kate Karyus Quinn's blog.

Fellow members of The Creative Alliance:

• Patrick Pillars – From The Dark Side Anthology Video & Interview with Nicole Ireland
• Ro Van Saint – Z-Cast Ep. 2
• David Sobkowiak – Full bios for all From The Dark Side Authors
• Vange – From The Dark Side Antho Stuff
• Nicole Ireland – Interview with Patrick Pillars

Want to know where all the cool kids go? Check out TCA and join us! Writers, artists, musicians – unite!

I'm still freelancing, but everything else has suffered. I did manage to open up a few of my stories this past week. But I quickly felt lost, completely taken out of the flow of words and not inspired at all.

Whether the stories are just not holding my attention or I just feel like I'm staring at a big chunk of clay that needs some serious slicing and shaping (and punching), I seem to have hit a slump that I don't see any way out of yet.

So, what do I do? Use it. I've got a few articles on writer's block coming up this week (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?).

I'm trying to get some of my week's work done today so I can sit my butt at my writing desk all week and make some progress. Because there is nothing worse than feeling like everything you've written sucks and you will never have a good idea again.

Which brings me to my favorite article this week. It actually comes from last week – Develop a story idea in five minutes.

Sometimes, after working all day, I end up feeling as though it's "too late" to dive into writing. I see this as sort of a self-defeating mindset, as you have all heard my talk of being an insomniac (and there really isn't any right or wrong hour of the day to write). Why I do this to myself, I don't know. Laziness, fear of suckage, what have you. But I figure I should take my own advice, and let this method of quick writing sprints get me back into the flow of writing.

So, how do you beat writer's block? How do you conquer that nagging voice in your head that tells you that you are no good? What's the longest you've gone without writing anything new?

I do know one thing that can only help – chocolate. Email me if you need my mailing address.

If you missed 'em, my other writing articles this week include a few on travel writing (both from home and abroad), a boot camp for writers who need a little discipline (like me) and one on how using your unique writer's voice can translate into sweet book sales.

[NWC]

Toronto Writing Examiner

Although I do have to try to do as many of my articles as possible with a Toronto-specific focus, my favorite article this week was more generic, but I really loved writing it. 

As writers, I think we can all use a little help from time to time, and for some of us, it's also fascinating to read about the processes of others. So, my piece this week on brainstorming techniques may have been my most popular one so far, but I also hope it will be beneficial to other writers who need some tips to refresh their writing process.

Toronto Fashion Arts Examiner

Although I've only just started writing the Fashion Arts column, I really like this piece. It was great to get some feedback from Adriana, who is running The Bazaar of the Bizarre, and it was also nice to put my print journalism background to good use!  I really enjoyed the interview process and I plan to do longer interviews of local indie designers in the near future.

Adriana also has a totally cool, modern-yet-futuristic line of industrial-inspired clothing that I lovelovelove, so I was glad to be able to get to know her a bit better.

The Challenge of Freelancing

Now that I'm working on two columns, I really need to be more organized than ever. I'm still juggling the columns with all my other work, and still haven't found the perfect mix of work and play (my fiction writing).

But I'm determined to get things sorted – whether I try to do a bit of everything everyday, or set certain tasks for specific days of the week. Because, as my fellow writers know. strange things sometimes happen when it's all work and no play…

[NWC]

It's amazing how may events and interesting tidbits I've come across already for local writers, and I look forward to spotlighting more signings, classes and, especially, more local authors.

In case you need to get caught up, here are my latest articles so far:

• A winning writing strategy to start off the New Year
• McNally Robinson author events ignite a passion for writing
• Indie Writers Deathmatch is a grudge match of literary proportions (deadline has been extended to Jan. 10!)
• Toronto loses a hub of inspiration for aspiring writers
• Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad unites Canadians with the world
• Writing workshops and retreats from Footprint Memoirs 

Watch for weekly recaps starting this Sunday (I was a day late – getting back into post-holiday routine and all) as well as a series this week featuring submission tracking software for writers.

Thanks again for all the clicks and comments on my articles so far. My success as Toronto Writing Examiner depends not only on my contributions but feedback from readers as well. So I appreciate you taking the time to read my work. Thank you for getting me excited to sit at my desk and write everyday!

[NWC]