I've had a lot of people ask me about burnout.
I'm terrified of it.
I write fast. I get obsessive. I bury myself in projects. There is a point in the first draft of every project where I hate it and feel like I'm a hack of a writer. (more than once)
There are several points in the editing process where I want to ditch the whole thing.
Last night I wanted to pull Falling because I was in serious hate with the blurb (my husband wrote it by the way - I just tweaked, so check it out on GOODREADS and know that my blurb was written by Mike Perry JD ADA (juris doctorate - assistant district attorney, lol)
But I don't stop.
I take breaks.
I make it totally fine to step away.
Writing needs to be fun, and when it's not, I really do get away from it for a bit.
What's funny, is that by allowing myself this simple thing, I step away for a day or maybe a few, and I'm anxious to get back.
I also have a backup plan. If I get to the point where I'm not writing anymore, I know how I'll stay in the literary world, so it takes the pressure off. Totally.
I really believe (for me) that when there's pressure to do something I HAVE to do, it makes it more difficult to keep doing whatever that thing is, and to keep loving it. I never want to feel like writing is something I have to do.
When I tell myself - "you can if you want, but whatever." My passion continues to push forward.
So. yes. I'm terrified of burnout, but I don't think it'll happen. At least not for a while...
Where are you on the burnout scale, or should I not ask?
Is it something you worry about?
This post was actually prompted by author Sara Zarr saying on her blog that she's not really working on anything and doesn't have plans to. This makes me a little sad panda.
~ Jolene
11 comments:
I featured Falling for my WOW pick, I'll make sure to grab the updated book description...
Wow. Mike Perry. JD ADA. Husband to Jolene Perry. And now blurb writer. That guy's got it all! :)
No burn-out for me yet. But I don't have a zillion projects going on. Maybe 1 or 2. And a ton sitting there waiting. Okay, sometimes I burn-out on editing, but that's cause I have to learn to write better. :) But not writing, yet.
I'm not sure this is burnout but sometimes I get frustrated and upset because I don't know what to do next. Does it need more editing, should I query, how should I query, which agents to research? Sometimes all the possibilities get a little overwhelming and I have to step back and regroup, then I jump in again.
I think a little burnout now and then is normal :)
I think 'burnout' has different definitions for each writer. I know I feel drained,(I blame pregnancy, lol) But I'm not burnt out, even though I'm not pounding out the word count as much as I'm used to. :)
If you're not burnt out, then go for it! Don't stop. If it does happen you can take a break and see all you've accomplished. There is nothing wrong with a break. Sometime's you've got to live life {reality} and let it be your muse for more inspiration.
Yeah, I think burnout comes and goes. I know I've had it before and then the writing bug bites again. ;)
I have never had burn out with regards to writing, but I have burn out selling. I'd love the world to be perfect and all I had to do is write and read...but you have to sell and market. That's the rough spot.
I wonder if in the future this might happen to me, but right now I'm still in love with writing. ;0)
Oh that's terrifying. I'm definitely not there, but that's not to say that I don't get incredibly frustrated sometimes when I am writing.
Don't be a sad panda :(
Be a happy koala :)
I could be writing. I have things to write about. I should be writing. But Paris is distracting me ... oh the hardship of it all ... LOL.
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