How a Vacation from your world will benefit you!

 or:

Why You Need to Take a Vacation from Your World

part 2 

by Emily Tjaden - reblogged from This incandescent life

I’m not talking about going out of town, but if you want to/can, that’s great. Take a real vacation, as those are exciting. But what I’m talking about is far more simplistic than that. Just take the day off. Go somewhere if you want, but the most important part is to let your mind go. Get out of your story world for the day. Don’t even think about it.
This is something we as writers often neglect. We forget the real world; the here-and-now, and get caught up in creating things that could be. And you know, it’s amazing how nothing drains the well of creativity faster than this neglect. We forget where such things come from.
“Write what you know.” You’ve heard the saying—we all have. It’s just that we all have a fairly small pool of knowledge in the grand scheme of life. And we wonder why the well runs dry? Stop swimming in the pool and dip your toe in the ocean. The fact is, inspiration, even for fantasy, comes from the real world.  It comes from life. That’s why it’s crucial to take time to experience it outside of your own world. Doing this will directly fuel your creative juices.

As writers, we pride ourselves on perception; on assertiveness, and attention to detail. Then why is it so easy to sink so deep into our own worlds that we forget to stop and look at the things around us?
Go outside today, or if you’re busy, make some time in your schedule to leave your story world behind and go on an adventure. A real one. Take a walk, or meet a friend for coffee. Experience life. Ask questions. Take time to wonder about things perhaps unrelated to your writing. Who knows? You may end up with a plethora of inspiration.