I think I might have my writing mojo back. I wrote just under 2000 words during a 4-hour stint at a cafe today 🙂 It was on the story I was writing before burn-out hit me. Is that a sign? I don’t know, but I’m happy about what I did 🙂 This story is what I consider my best story so far.
Tag: burn out
Writing and Burnout: Bookish Pixie
Hand shitting and the occasional clap
I had a thought today, what if I don’t get over my burnout completely until the one year anniversary ticks over. That’s next May! Right now I have no desire to write anything (despite writing this post) in fact, I’d rather shit in my hands and clap.
And I was starting to improve only a month or so ago too. I had slogged it out and got a novella out and did a draft of another, but maybe that was the reason. I pushed myself too much too soon.
The idea of story creation seems tedious and I’m having feelings of inadequacy. But that’s ridiculous because I’ve improved so much in recent times and I got the stories mapped out. But at the same time what if I fuck it up? What if later on, I find out that there is a better way to write it? What if I’m not the right on to tell this story? (But come on I’m the one that thought it up, I’m the only one to tell it) I’m all mixed up and nothing can really do anything about it but me.
Day 13 of writing
I watched a video on minimalism and one of the questions was ‘What do you want to do with your 30’s?’ It made me think some more about where I’m headed. In 15 months I’m going to be 30 and I’ve still got my goal of self-publishing 10 books to complete. I want to achieve it, but I’m still just getting over my burnout so I don’t know if I’ll make it 😦
Also, I haven’t written anything.
This is what burnout is like
A little pep talk to myself
Stef, you’ve been MIA with writing for a while now. That burn out hit you in mid-May with some force and it’s taken up residence. It’s now coming up to six months and you’ve achieved practically nothing. You were on such a role this time last year, you have to get back on that wheel. You can and will do better if you want to achieve your goal of 10 stories out by the age of 30. Tick Tock!
The impotent writer
What is wrong with me!?
I’m a writer that doesn’t want to write. I cannot make the words appear on page and I cannot edit the words I already have. The stories are there, but I cannot rise to perform. For Christ’s sake, not two years ago I wrote a hundred thousand word novel in two months. And then I went on to other writing projects unfazed! I was a machine. I was churning out story after story, getting idea after idea, editing a novella in a few days and now . . . my brain doesn’t work. I’m jealous of my past self and of other writers. Like how dare you go out and produce books while I’m over here not.
The days pass by, they turn into weeks and then months and now it is the fourth month of my burnout. How much further along could I be if I wasn’t like this? I watch things, but I feel no joy from watching. I buy books that I would otherwise be interested in, but give up after a few chapters or not even begin.
My USB is full of stories. I’ve written so much and yet I take no sense of joy, pride or accomplishment away from it. Its new home is under my desk instead of permanently plugged in my laptop. I could lose it and not care.
I’m supposed to be a writer Goddamnit! Why am I not writing? Why am I so impotent? How long will I not be able to get it up for? WTF is wrong with me? I feel like crying, but I prevent myself from losing control. What am I even doing with all this free time that I now have? I spend it thinking that I’m wasting my time and talent and then get simultaneously pissed off and sad when night falls because what I have I accomplished? What am I doing with my life? What else do I have? How did I lose passion for my passion?
How do I even get over burnout? Do I just wait until my mind gets better? How long do I have to wait? I’ve had plenty of time off work in the four months since I gave up. My sleep is fine, my diet is mostly fine. I’m exercising. I have ample free time for everything in my life. But I’m moody and irritable. I don’t want to do anything else but write because it’s the only thing that I really like doing. And now it’s a thing that does not bring me joy.
The last two weeks
I think my burn out is starting to wane because I managed to do a draft of The Things We Do, but I had to force myself to do it 😦 I’ve just finished two weeks off from work and I never really utilised it. I think back just over a year when I was powering through and I could have done multiple edits of different stories.
I’m starting to think that maybe I won’t have anything ready until next year 😦 The fact that I have not accomplished anything in the last few months really annoys me. Technically I could have finished and published two stories by now. Just thinking about it makes me feel down. So much time wasted. And I know what I need to do with all the things I have, but I just don’t feel like doing any of it 😦
I have no attention
Urrgh, I still think I’ve got the burnout. I look at my incomplete stories and have no desire to get into them. I even try to force myself to edit but I only get a page through before losing interest/attention. It’s becoming a real problem because months are going by and I not progressing in any way 😦 Its a downer. When am I going to snap back into my writer mode?
For others who have had burnout, how long did it take for you to get over it completely?
Another story being edited.
Maybe it was a good thing that I had burnout. I’ve just returned to one of my newer stories (which is going to be one of my better ones) and thought up a new idea to insert into it 🙂 Currently I’m editing the thirty or so thousand words I have already completed with the plan of then finishing the first draft straight after. I have a really good feeling about this story. I think after all the years of writing and using my brain matter I’m starting to really get a good grip on storytelling and presentation 🙂 I can’t wait until I get this story completed.
Stephanie Haggarty 