By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Writers experience times of stress and have no clue how to avoid or eliminate it. We hear breaks from a normal routing are essential to our professional, personal, and psychological life, so we might give in to an hour here and there. But never a vacation. Just think of all the time wasted when we could be writing. 

Ah, so you’ve been there too.

A few months ago, I sensed the tired, burned out, I’m a failure, and I should quit syndrome. My sweet husband suggested a vacation. I not only said no, but I shed tears of no. My current novel was a mess, and I needed more time than usual to finish it properly.

He didn’t listen.

Instead, he planned an eight-day road trip to Utah’s National Parks. We flew to our destination, rented a car, and off we went. As I write this post, I’m closing my eyes and envisioning the beauty of Utah’s mountain cliffs. We toured five National Parks during the non-tourist season, which meant we eliminated the crowds of people. Sure the weather had cold temps, but I didn’t care. One amazing landscape after another held magnificent colors of burnt orange, gold, gray, and brown. 

The true blessing of this trip came from the physical, mental, and spiritual renewal. When we returned home, I was refreshed and eager to write. The following are seven benefits of our vacation that have made me a better writer.

1. Renewed appreciation for God’s handiwork on the canvas of His creation. This is the God who purposed me to write. He will enable me to work through every writing project.

2. Incredible silence whispered to me: Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10 ESV).  The verse goes on to say that He will be exalted among the nations and in the earth. All I had to do was look around me.

3. New story ideas and inspiration for my current project, ideas I know didn’t come from me.

4. Physical restoration from the nagging tiredness.

5. Mental healing from the “I’m not or ever will be a good writer.”

6. Softness of heart for those who are determined to protect the earth’s beauty.

7. Love for the word of God and the gift of writing.

Have you experienced stress and burnout? Perhaps a vacation may not be in your budget, but a staycation can offer the same rejuvenation to grow you as a person and writer. 

Let’s share how time away from writing actually makes us better writers.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, the Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, YouTube, LinkedIn. or her website: diannmills.com