Let’s Talk Bookish: What Truly Makes a Blog Hiatus?

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. I’m really happy it’s Friday because it’s my last day of school before Thanksgiving break. I’m going down to my aunt and uncle’s for Thanksgiving and before that, we’re going to Disneyland. I haven’t been there for three years, so I’m excited that we’re getting to go again. Anyways, I thought this discussion topic was appropriate for me, seeing that I just recently returned from a blog hiatus.

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and is hosted by Rukky and Dani @ Literary Lion where we discuss various topics and share our opinions. Today’s topic is What Truly Makes a Blog Hiatus? (suggested by Ruby @ Ruby Reads and Reviews).

Have you taken a hiatus before? How long was it for, and did you plan/announce it beforehand?

I have. It lasted almost two months; I “officially” started it on September 11, and I came back on November 7. I didn’t plan to take one, but I had been thinking about it for a little while beforehand. I was a bit burnt out on blogging and it started feeling like something I had to do, rather than something I wanted to do by choice. I figured that at that point, it was a good time to take a break. I put out a post on my blog, quickly telling people that I was going to be on a break for a little while and to expect me back at the beginning of October. I didn’t stick to that date and ended up extending my hiatus for another few weeks, until the beginning of November. In October, I wasn’t feeling ready and school was also keeping me really busy. I wanted to come back when I felt motivated to, not just when I said I would be.

What do you think makes a hiatus? Is there a minimum time length that defines one?

There is a no definite thing that “makes” a hiatus. However, when the word ‘hiatus’ comes to mind, I usually think of something long term–in this case, a break from blogging for a longer amount of time. As for a minimum length that defines a hiatus, I think it depends on the blogger. For example, if there’s a blogger that posts three times a week, leaving for two weeks would be a noticeable break. On the other hand, if there’s someone that posts once a week, two weeks of no posts wouldn’t be a huge difference. But in all honesty, it doesn’t matter what length the hiatus is; there is no particular length that defines one. It’s a chance for the person to take a break and focus on other things.

Do you think it should be announced beforehand?

I don’t think it has to be announced–it’s not an extremely vital thing–but it is nice to know. That way, you’re not just left wondering what happened to the blogger. If someone plans to take the break, yes, I think it should be announced; however, if something important comes up or they’re swamped with a bunch of work, then it doesn’t have to be announced. That would just be an extra thing to add their workload.

Conclusion

A hiatus is a different length for everyone. Mine was almost two months, but hiatuses can definitely be longer or shorter. I also want to say that it’s completely okay to take a hiatus. Breaks are necessary for everyone. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with other activities or just not feeling motivated to blog, taking a break is normal and it will give yourself a chance to focus on other things for a while.

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What do you think makes a hiatus? Have you ever taken one before?