9 Tips for Dealing With Writer's Burnout
My entire life is build around words.
I'm an indie author who's also seeking traditional publication. I write a blog post every Friday...and also (if I remember) a newsletter once a month. I'm a Youtuber, the Phoenix Fiction Writers Multimedia manager, the Live Events Coordinator for WriteOnCon, a reviewer at Constant Collectible, and a writing consultant at my college.
What does that mean? It means I'm writing and reading all. the. time. Query letters, searching for literary agents, editing, drafting, formatting, marketing, blogging, outlining videos and podcasts, sending business emails, reading blog posts, reading books, talking about books, helping other people read and write and edit.
I'm drowning in words. And, occasionally, it gets to the point that I'm so sick of the things that I think maybe I'd be better off switching jobs and becoming a Master Underwater Basketweaver.
It's not that I have writer's block. I can (and do) continue to write. After all, I have deadlines to meet. But the words don't feel the same: They annoy me. They feel cramped and not quite right. And my fingers, brain, and soul all want a break.
Do you know the feeling? Probably. Otherwise you wouldn't have clicked to read this article. So how can we, as creators of words, keep writing without suffering from the horrible Writer's Burnout?
1. Know there's no avoiding it. Notice I didn't title this post "Tips To Keep You From Ever Experiencing Writer's Burnout." Which may have been a good idea because that type of clickbait would greatly increase my views, but no. I didn't because Writer's Burnout isn't something you can avoid. If you are writing as a career choice, then you're going to get sick of words every so often just like you'd get sick of any other job you have. Writer's Burnout isn't a monster. It's just something you have to learn to handle in a healthy way. It's normal and not something to be afraid of. So when you come up against it: Don't stop writing. You like writing. You really do. Just keep going and remember that it'll get better.
2. Take daily breaks. No, not a once-every-so-often-right-after-I-finish-this-sentence break. Daily. Breaks. Eat lunch. Go for a walk. Drink some water. Get out of that chair and go do something for just a few minutes. Your writing will still be there when you get back. I promise. Unless you have an old, unreliable computer or a paper manuscript and a dog. In which case: I can't guarantee anything.
3. Change your view. Stop writing in the same place every day. Switch from your desk to your bed to your couch to your dining room table. Switch from your house to a coffee shop to a library. Redecorate your desk. Try listening to a new type of music or no music at all. Reschedule your writing time from the morning to the night. Make some changes so you aren't doing the same exact thing over and over and over. That may work for the people in the LEGO movie, but it doesn't work for you.
4. Engage in a non-writing hobby. And by non-writing I mean one that doesn't involve the written world. No writing. No reading. Take up cooking or knitting or painting or surfing or volunteering or martial art-ing (yes, that's a thing). Engage in an activity that uses a completely different part of your brain.
5. Unplug. Get away from your screen. No laptop. No computer. No phone. No TV. No, not even your Kindle. Take at least ten minutes each day where you're doing something that doesn't involve a glowing electronic device. And no, eating and showering do not count. Nice try, though.
6. Diversify your writing. Do you write fiction? Try writing blog posts. You write books? Short stories are cool. So maybe you write sci-fi, but what about horror? Or historical fiction? You could do that, couldn't you? Of course you can. Try writing something new on the side of your big project to keep you from going completely insane.
7. Organize. I keep telling you that it's important to schedule your writing time, but do you listen? No. Well, listen now: You need to get organized. One of the issues that leads to Writer's Burnout is because you have deadlines and projects you're trying to finish, but you can't quite complete any of them because you're too busy wasting time on being un-organized. And then you get frustrated. It's your own fault. Look at your writing desk. Organize it. Look at your schedule. Organize it. I know it's not considered "cool" for us creatives to be all rigid, but you'll get over it.
8. Have a conversation. When was the last time you dialogued...er...talked? Beyond complaining about your writing? How do you expect to get new ideas or find the encouragement to keep going if you don't go talk to other humans? Not on social media, but in real-life. Use your mouth and not your keyboard.
9. Be healthy. Exercise. Stop eating so much sugar and consume something green. Hey! Put down that green Jello! That's not what I mean. Also: I know writers are supposed to be fueled by caffeine, but you're taking that a bit too far. It's not good for you. Bring it down a notch.
If you follow all of these steps, will you never again have writer's burnout? Sadly, no. You'll still get burnt out. But now you'll be able to handle it. And it will happen less.
What have you found helpful when dealing with writer's burnout? I'd love to hear your tips!
Related articles:
5 Steps to Fighting Off Writer's Insecurity
How to Stay Motivated to Write When Life Gets Hard
7 Tips for Balancing Your Writing with the Rest of Life
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, please don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every week!SaveSave
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I'm an indie author who's also seeking traditional publication. I write a blog post every Friday...and also (if I remember) a newsletter once a month. I'm a Youtuber, the Phoenix Fiction Writers Multimedia manager, the Live Events Coordinator for WriteOnCon, a reviewer at Constant Collectible, and a writing consultant at my college.
What does that mean? It means I'm writing and reading all. the. time. Query letters, searching for literary agents, editing, drafting, formatting, marketing, blogging, outlining videos and podcasts, sending business emails, reading blog posts, reading books, talking about books, helping other people read and write and edit.
I'm drowning in words. And, occasionally, it gets to the point that I'm so sick of the things that I think maybe I'd be better off switching jobs and becoming a Master Underwater Basketweaver.
It's not that I have writer's block. I can (and do) continue to write. After all, I have deadlines to meet. But the words don't feel the same: They annoy me. They feel cramped and not quite right. And my fingers, brain, and soul all want a break.
Do you know the feeling? Probably. Otherwise you wouldn't have clicked to read this article. So how can we, as creators of words, keep writing without suffering from the horrible Writer's Burnout?
1. Know there's no avoiding it. Notice I didn't title this post "Tips To Keep You From Ever Experiencing Writer's Burnout." Which may have been a good idea because that type of clickbait would greatly increase my views, but no. I didn't because Writer's Burnout isn't something you can avoid. If you are writing as a career choice, then you're going to get sick of words every so often just like you'd get sick of any other job you have. Writer's Burnout isn't a monster. It's just something you have to learn to handle in a healthy way. It's normal and not something to be afraid of. So when you come up against it: Don't stop writing. You like writing. You really do. Just keep going and remember that it'll get better.2. Take daily breaks. No, not a once-every-so-often-right-after-I-finish-this-sentence break. Daily. Breaks. Eat lunch. Go for a walk. Drink some water. Get out of that chair and go do something for just a few minutes. Your writing will still be there when you get back. I promise. Unless you have an old, unreliable computer or a paper manuscript and a dog. In which case: I can't guarantee anything.
3. Change your view. Stop writing in the same place every day. Switch from your desk to your bed to your couch to your dining room table. Switch from your house to a coffee shop to a library. Redecorate your desk. Try listening to a new type of music or no music at all. Reschedule your writing time from the morning to the night. Make some changes so you aren't doing the same exact thing over and over and over. That may work for the people in the LEGO movie, but it doesn't work for you.
4. Engage in a non-writing hobby. And by non-writing I mean one that doesn't involve the written world. No writing. No reading. Take up cooking or knitting or painting or surfing or volunteering or martial art-ing (yes, that's a thing). Engage in an activity that uses a completely different part of your brain.
5. Unplug. Get away from your screen. No laptop. No computer. No phone. No TV. No, not even your Kindle. Take at least ten minutes each day where you're doing something that doesn't involve a glowing electronic device. And no, eating and showering do not count. Nice try, though.
6. Diversify your writing. Do you write fiction? Try writing blog posts. You write books? Short stories are cool. So maybe you write sci-fi, but what about horror? Or historical fiction? You could do that, couldn't you? Of course you can. Try writing something new on the side of your big project to keep you from going completely insane.
7. Organize. I keep telling you that it's important to schedule your writing time, but do you listen? No. Well, listen now: You need to get organized. One of the issues that leads to Writer's Burnout is because you have deadlines and projects you're trying to finish, but you can't quite complete any of them because you're too busy wasting time on being un-organized. And then you get frustrated. It's your own fault. Look at your writing desk. Organize it. Look at your schedule. Organize it. I know it's not considered "cool" for us creatives to be all rigid, but you'll get over it.
8. Have a conversation. When was the last time you dialogued...er...talked? Beyond complaining about your writing? How do you expect to get new ideas or find the encouragement to keep going if you don't go talk to other humans? Not on social media, but in real-life. Use your mouth and not your keyboard.
9. Be healthy. Exercise. Stop eating so much sugar and consume something green. Hey! Put down that green Jello! That's not what I mean. Also: I know writers are supposed to be fueled by caffeine, but you're taking that a bit too far. It's not good for you. Bring it down a notch.
If you follow all of these steps, will you never again have writer's burnout? Sadly, no. You'll still get burnt out. But now you'll be able to handle it. And it will happen less.
What have you found helpful when dealing with writer's burnout? I'd love to hear your tips!
Related articles:
5 Steps to Fighting Off Writer's Insecurity
How to Stay Motivated to Write When Life Gets Hard
7 Tips for Balancing Your Writing with the Rest of Life
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, please don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every week!SaveSave
SaveSaveSaveSave
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