Switch it upTry a different project for a little while. A short story, a different genre story, or a side quest for your heroes! This can be dangerous (I just started a new book after pausing my edits on another... whoops), but it's also incredibly healthy. As writers, we get so immersed in our projects that we forget that there's life outside of it! We also tend to forget the excitement of discovering a new story when up to our necks in our current stories. So set it aside for a week and try something else! I promise your book will still be there when you decide to return to it. Lower your daily goalsWhen I get burnt out, I lower my word count goals to only 500 words a day. If it's lower for you, that's totally fine. The habit of writing every day is what matters. So quit focusing on the numbers! So what if you were doing 2,000 words per day, do 500 now. The most important thing, however, is to keep writing, no matter how little. Because the habit of writing daily that's gotten you this far can disappear fast! Another way to relax your goals if word counts aren't your thing is to set a timer for only 30 minutes a day. I do this on my lunch break at work and I'm always surprised how when I don't focus on word count, I actually write more. Instead of worrying about filling the page, I just allow myself to "go with the flow." I find this incredibly therapeutic and a great way to explore new ideas. ReadThink of reading as research or studying for your craft. One of the best things about writing (in my opinion) is that the more you read, the better writer you become. Even if you don't read books critically (I've found myself doing this lately and I hate it), you're subconsciously absorbing the way authors write dialogue and set scenes. When I get overwhelmed or burnt out with my book, I dive into other books in my genre. It reminds me why I love what I do and keeps me going! I'll also pick up a book or two outside of my genre to learn different styles and take a break from what I've been surrounding myself with. Some great standalone books to dive into: -A House of Salt and Sorrows (Erin A. Craig) -A Man Called Ove (Fredrik Backman) -The Life We Bury (Allen Eskens) -Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel) -The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Mitch Albom) -Stardust (Neil Gaiman) How to know when the burnout is goneWhen you're itching to get back to your story is when you know you've officially overcome that burnout!
Even if you don't feel burnt out yet, it might be good to try a few of these ideas for a couple weeks to recharge your batteries. Let me know how you overcome burnout in the comments!
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AuthorM. M. Kastanek Archives
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