Ever get burned out

Michael Davis · Apr 24, 2008

I just finished all the rewrites requested by the publisher on my third novel and man do I feel burned out. On my first two books, I was all fired up to start the next one immediately, but this last one took a toll on my psyche for some reason. I've got two more started in the wings (about 10% complete), but I just can't get the energy/interest to start up again. Going to take about a three month break, go fishing, visit the grand daughter, try and refresh my writing spirit.

I assume this is a common occurrence after you've been writing novels back to back. I'm amazed at the writers that turn out 3 a year none stop.

maestrowork · Apr 24, 2008

I'm trying my best not to burn out. I take breaks, sometimes way too many and for too long, but it keeps me in perspective and the ideas fresh. I know myself too way. Push me too hard and I'd snap.

Cat Scratch · Apr 24, 2008

I'm burned out right now. I'm taking a break and working on some non-fiction stuff. I'm also busy doing non-writing stuff like having babies. That sure keeps me busy.

Zoombie · Apr 24, 2008

Burn outs are no fun...for me they're less of a "Gaah, hate writing" than a strange disquet like, "I should be writing...but I'm not and I don't know why..."

It's very disturbing and strange. That's why I too take breaks...

I need to take less breaks, though. But not too many less breaks.

xiaotien · Apr 24, 2008

we need to recharge creatively, i think?
everyone is different in how they approach
the muse and their prose.

congrats on the revisions! and here's to writing
again after a good rest. =)

Sunshine13 · Apr 24, 2008

I'm in the middle of one as well. I got sick 3 weeks ago and it zapped everything, and I've yet to really get it all back. And then I get even more frustrated. Blah!

ACEnders · Apr 24, 2008

Zoombie said:
Burn outs are no fun...for me they're less of a "Gaah, hate writing" than a strange disquet like, "I should be writing...but I'm not and I don't know why..."

It's very disturbing and strange. That's why I too take breaks...

I need to take less breaks, though. But not too many less breaks.

I'm not published, but I'm working on my third book and the revision of my second, and I feel this way right now. I'm in my "I should be writing, but I'm not" phase right now.

I think we all need breaks. People in any vocation do. What makes ours so hard is that, for the time that we're writing, we're in an entirely different world. We are different people with different lives. It makes it hard to get back into ours, even when we need to, even when we want to.

So we have to just make ourselves take a break so that we can keep going.

nybx4life · Apr 24, 2008

I'm starting to feel that way, and I'm only editing my first.

Probably it's too much criticism on my grammar....
it's getting annoying

Straka · Apr 24, 2008

I get burned out occasionally, more like I burn out my hands or get a stiff neck and have to give it a break. I don't feel I have to write everyday so taking a few days off can really recharge the batteries

Shweta · Apr 24, 2008

I tend to find that I need to do something else when burned out. often I draw when I'm not in a wriitng mood. Or I read. Writers are generalists, right? We're interested in and know a little bit about a lot of things. So it's not surprising that our generalist brains protest doing the same thing all the time

nybx4life said:
I'm starting to feel that way, and I'm only editing my first.

Probably it's too much criticism on my grammar....
it's getting annoying

If several people are commenting on your grammar, that's probably because your grammar needs work.

The bad news is, sloppy grammar makes the writer look incompetent. Signs of incompetence make readers stop trusting the writer, and when your readers stops trusting you, you've lost them completely. No matter how compelling the story might be - if they don't read it, it's not gonna win them over.

The good news is that once you get your grammar up to speed, you'll stop having to worry about it.

nybx4life · Apr 24, 2008

Shweta said:
If several people are commenting on your grammar, that's probably because your grammar needs work.

The bad news is, sloppy grammar makes the writer look incompetent. Signs of incompetence make readers stop trusting the writer, and when your readers stops trusting you, you've lost them completely. No matter how compelling the story might be - if they don't read it, it's not gonna win them over.

The good news is that once you get your grammar up to speed, you'll stop having to worry about it.

Well ain't that the truth :poke:

I just need to pick up the pieces and find a way to turn it around.
My own version of Mission Impossible, minus everything that made the movie great.

eveningstar · Apr 24, 2008

Shweta said:
I tend to find that I need to do something else when burned out. often I draw when I'm not in a wriitng mood. Or I read. Writers are generalists, right? We're interested in and know a little bit about a lot of things. So it's not surprising that our generalist brains protest doing the same thing all the time

I agree, I need to do other things when I feel that burning-out feeling with writing. Painting, baking, knitting. Or I read anything I can get my hands on or take a walk or teach my kittens to play fetch.

You need a break from anything once in awhile, so you can go back to it refreshed and with new eyes.

Matera the Mad · Apr 24, 2008

nybx4life said:
Well ain't that the truth
I just need to pick up the pieces and find a way to turn it around.
My own version of Mission Impossible, minus everything that made the movie great.

Yepper, no popcorn in RL. You wouldn't like it if someone mentioned what impatience is a sign of, so I won't. I'll just say that you will most likely grow out of it.

Pfew, I was born burned out. I'm glad writing is mainly a BIC job.

Danalynn · Apr 24, 2008

I've never experienced burn out, (hope I never do), but it sounds like you have a plan. Give yourself some time away from it, and when you get back, hopefully you'll have a fresh perspective and things'll start flowing again.

nybx4life said:
Well ain't that the truth
I just need to pick up the pieces and find a way to turn it around.
My own version of Mission Impossible, minus everything that made the movie great.

The best way to learn how to fix your grammar is to pick up some how to books that deal specifically with that topic. Look on Amazon.com, or ebay, or go to your local book store. There are lots of books that deal with exactly this subject, and they'll help you out a ton.

nybx4life · Apr 24, 2008

I'm gonna ask a few people I know who are good with grammar.
I had a book or two on it, but I can't find it. Where I live is like a great setting for an I-Spy Book

So now, as I wait for them to respond, I'll have to wait, and see whatever more advice I can grab.

Danalynn · Apr 24, 2008

You're young. You still have A LOT to learn. Just keep trying. The more you practice at it, the better you'll get.

nybx4life · Apr 24, 2008

By practicing, you mean constantly write more novels and short stories?

If that's the case, I'm still going to have to deal with my grammar.
But then again, the grammar part I think is what you meant by "A LOT to learn"

Danalynn · Apr 24, 2008

Yup. Hence the suggestion to buy AS MANY books about grammar as you can get your hands on.

(Or you don't even have to buy them if you can't afford it. Go to the Library, they've probably got a bunch of titles on "grammar how to" there for free.)

The more you read about it, the more you'll learn, and the better you'll get.

nybx4life · Apr 24, 2008

I'll have to start library searching tomorrow.

Will Lavender · Apr 24, 2008

nybx4life

I think books on grammar have their place, but I would recommend just regular books. Fiction, nonfiction, adult, YA, poetry. Books.

This is how I learned. I'm not great with rules, but I know how to craft a sentence fairly well just because I have read a lot. I don't think you should avoid grammar manuals, but I wouldn't overdo it. Many of these books are tedious and read like what they are: workbooks. I would just read -- and maybe read with a careful eye, paying attention to how writers do certain things sentence- and language-wise.

Good luck.

Danalynn · Apr 24, 2008

I agree with that, too. I've been writing since I was 12. The MAIN way I learned how to write well was by reading. I'm a very detailed person anyway, but once I discovered the art of writing, it would take me forever to read a book. I would study every sentence structure, every punctuation mark, etc. By studying tons of different novels in my favorite genre, and noticing how other writers did it, I was able to improve my own writing by leaps and bounds.

nybx4life · Apr 24, 2008

Dana-Lynn said:
I agree with that, too. I've been writing since I was 12. The MAIN way I learned how to write well was by reading. I'm a very detailed person anyway, but once I discovered the art of writing, it would take me forever to read a book. I would study every sentence structure, every punctuation mark, etc. By studying tons of different novels in my favorite genre, and noticing how other writers did it, I was able to improve my own writing by leaps and bounds.

Hmm....and here I am, just reading a book for the sake of reading.
I'm sure, for now anyway, I just need to get a grammar manual and fix up my problems with tenses.
From there, I should sail smooth for a while, before someone says that I just blew up the plot by saying something stupid, and that makes an avalanche fall upon me :rant:

that smiley was needed

Chasing the Horizon · Apr 24, 2008

When I wrote 65,000 words in two weeks I certainly felt burned-out after, but for me burn-out is measured in days, not weeks or months. It's not unusual for me to write 5k or 6k in one day, and then not feel like writing at all the next. I'm in a constant state of burn-out with editing because I hate doing it, lol. I like feeling like I'm running on the ragged edge of burn-out, because that means I'm really doing the most I can do.

As for the grammar, I second (third?) taking a careful look at some books by your favorite authors. Watch how they structure sentences and use grammatical symbols

; — etc.). I was horrible at grammar when I first started. I'm much better now, but I honestly don't worry about whether I'm using 'laying' where I should be 'lying' or 'effect' where I should say 'affect'. That's what copy-editors are for.

Claudia Gray · Apr 24, 2008

I've gotten burned out before and am dangerously close to it now. You always "recover," but still, it's not an experience I'm yearning to repeat. I should finish revising and submit my manuscript for Hourglass within the week. After that, I plan to spend a month only writing fanfic, and only as much of that as I wish. Then I'll pick back up with my books, but allowing a slightly more sedate pace. I've really had to push it ever since January.

nybx4life · Apr 24, 2008

Yup, so mostly, after looking at a helpful post, i figured out what my problem was:

Using 'was' when I was supposed to use 'is'

Great...that much of a problem when it's almost a two-letter substitution?
Makes me wonder how MS Word doesn't catch that...

Ever get burned out

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