Avoiding Writer's Burnout

1.  Write 2k Everyday--No matter what yesterday's wordcount was

     Maybe 2k is too much for you, maybe your wordcount is more like 1k a day, or maybe you even do more than 2k in the average day.  Whatever the case, you set your goal, and that's your goal.  So hit it.  And if you miss it?

     Oh well!

     Don't try to "make up" for your previous days (unless you know you have the stamina or you're on a tight schedule of course).  Just try to hit today's wordcount, and worry about yesterday's wordcount after you're finished.

     It can be overwhelming, especially if you skip a day--or worse, several!  Sometimes you just need to take care of the now before you take care of the past.


2.  Take care of yourself

     Drink lots of water, eat healthy foods, get exercise, take asprin when you need it, take your meds if you have/need them, take naps, get lots of sleep.  Your brain, believe it or not, is a part of your body, and if your body isn't heathy, neither is your mind.  The better you feel in body, the better able to concentrate on your story you'll be.

     And if you let your health decay and get yourself sick, you'll lose valuable writing time, as well as getting behind in your other daily duties.  You should also ...


3.  Hang out with friends

     Take breaks.  Hang out with people.  Socialize.  You'll feel better afterward, I promise.  Well, unless you have anxiety.  Then it's a fifty-fifty.  Still, you should try it!  Find writer friends if you can so you can BS about how hard writing is and nobody understands and find commiseration in your conversations.

     Human contact goes a long way toward keeping you happy and healthy; if nothing else, it will give you more material to work with.


4.  Unfollow toxic people on twitter

     I try not to unfollow people if I don't have to--it's like distancing yourself from a friend, and I've always had trouble extricating myself from toxic people and environments.  Unfortunately, I use Twitter as a source of inspiration from time to time--or at least a distraction.  Whatever you want to call it.

     And when I go on Twitter to take a quick break, post about my writing progress, encourage others, etc., I sometimes get caught up in the political bullshit going on in the world, and the asshole things other people are saying, and I get so upset sometimes I can no longer write--all I can do is bury myself in pillows and blankets and listen to loud music to keep from screaming.

     The more toxic the poster, the less able I am to return to my work.  So a few weeks ago I made the decision to unfollow some people who were making my Twitter feed downright unappetizing to attend to, and I haven't regretted it since.  I still get distracted, of course, but not the sick, "I'm-going-to-kill-someone" distracted.  Not as frequently, anyway.

     And whether or not you use social media for inspiration or distraction or discussion or none of the above, if you find that certain parties are always posting content or making comments that upset you, unfollow them.  Just do it, get them off your dash; you are in no way obligated to keep following anyone, and life's too short to be handing all that power over to the assholes.  You'll be much happier, and much more productive, with that negativity cut out of your life.

5.  Listen to music, read books, get excited

     Take time to do things that relax you.  Listen to music while you write, or take walks, or just close your eyes and let it sink in.  Read a good book just because you can and you know you want to, get excited about someone else's world and characters, draw fanart, write fanfiction, draw art of your own story, write fanfiction for your own work because it amuses you.  Call these "writing hours" or "research hours" if you have to.

     The big secret to not burning yourself out, is simply to not burn yourself out.  Rest.  Take a nap.  Set it aside and come back to it.  And if you're more frustrated than you are excited?  Maybe it's time you took a step back, maybe worked on another project.

     As a writer, it's important to push yourself and investigate uncomfortable truths, but if you push yourself too hard too fast, you'll catch fire, and might lose your taste for the work.  You'll certainly find yourself needing a break, and it's better to take the small breaks as needed than to end up needing breaks that last for months.

     Take care of yourself, writers, and the writing will take care of itself.

(Okay not really, you still have to actually do the writing part)

(But it did sound like a cool closing statement, amirite?)