Facing Burn Out as a Writer

Why I’ll Never Burn Out as a Writer or Author

One of my sons asked me recently whether I’m afraid that I’ll burn out as a writer. My answer to him was, “Nope.” Not because I am a content-creating machine, but because it’s who I am. Some of us were just born to write.

Sure, there are days when I sit at a blank screen wondering what I’m going to create next. But at the end of the day, I’m still whipping out more words each year while doing my best to help others.

I don’t know if it’s something I can teach, but I can still share what I do on a daily basis and why.

Keep in mind that I am kind of a special case, though. Not everyone can crank out as much content as I can, and it’s OK. It doesn’t mean I am more successful as a writer or author. It just means that I am happiest while sitting at the keyboard.

For me, it’s more than just a passion or hobby; it’s a way of life.

How I Prevent Burning Out as a Writer

Most authors and writers have a fear of burning out. This is especially true for those who are trying to turn a passionate hobby into a career.

What happens if you start to hate writing? That’s perhaps one of the most dangerous aspects of turning something you love into a way to make money. A lot of us will start to dread the very thing that gave us pleasure.

So, what do I do to avoid having a burn out as a writer?

It’s Always a New “Story”

Every experience and piece of content is a new story. Although some things can feel similar, it’s always something new in the general sense.

You can take the same writing prompt and write it in millions of different ways. Of course, that greatly depends on your imagination. The same can be said about blogging.

It all comes down to how you want to expand on the topic, whether it’s a horror novel or a keyword for a blog post. While some may feel that it’s repetitive, I view it as a way to tell something new.

Having the Right Goals

Why do you write? Is it because you have a story to tell or because you want to become rich and famous?

I’ve seen a few authors lately who are on the verge of giving up because their debut novels didn’t rake in the sales. That is not a reflection of you as an author, but more of you as a marketer.

No one is going to buy the book if they don’t know it exists.

I’ve sold maybe 10 copies of Kingmaker and about 20 of A Freelancer’s Tale. Yet, I will continue publishing books because I have stories to tell. Would I like to make more sales? Absolutely. In that case, I also have goals to learn more about marketing.

You’re not going to publish a New York Times bestseller from the jump, especially if you don’t advertise it well enough.

It takes time and a ton of effort. So, having the right goals makes a world of difference, especially if you take emotion out of the equation.

Some of my realistic goals include:

  • Words written per year
  • The number of social events for authors attended each year
  • Hours spent each week marketing the book and myself
  • Hours spent each week learning and growing as an author

Notice how none of my goals relate to sales. Yet, each one of the above improves the chances of making money in the long term.

A Passion for Learning Something New

One of the most influential things behind why I won’t burn out as a writer is my passion for learning. I am a strong proponent of education in any form. It was this passion that helped me become such a success while using content mills.

This drive goes beyond learning about products or locations to write for client content. I also love to learn about ways to improve my prowess as a storyteller.

Every minute I spend watching a video or reading a blog post about writing and storytelling is time well spent. Because in the end, it’s only going to improve my abilities.

No one knows everything about every topic. Those who claim they do are either blatantly lying or trying to sell you something. Don’t assume you know enough to simply “get by.”

Taking Regular Breaks

Making sure you take regular breaks throughout the day is imperative. Stepping away from any task and taking a breath greatly reduces the chance of burning out.

I often try to stick with my ultradian rhythm while writing. It’s a biorhythm that ebbs and flows with your level of energy throughout the day.

I know, it sounds a bit new-agey for some. However, I’ve found that spurts of about 90 minutes at a time works exceptionally well to keep things going for me. Then, I take a 10 to 15-minute break.

The point here is that you need to give yourself regular breaks to take a breath. It’s not about the quantity of the work you produce, but the quality. And breaks can help you maintain that high level of quality.

Gamifying Writing

Another one of the most effective ways that I avoid a burn out as a writer is how I gamify everything. This is when you turn a seemingly mundane task into something more fun.

The idea behind gamification is that you’re more likely to keep doing something if you’re enjoying the process. It’s why a lot of companies gamify work in some form – it keeps employees productive.

Anyway, I gamify writing by keeping track of how many words I write per day, week, month, and year. Then, I try to break those records. It’s a bit north of being a geek, but it’s fun for me.

Well, that is aside from the fact that I truly love to write regardless if it’s a WordPress tutorial blog post or a dark western novel.

I keep track of my time, words, how much money comes in from AdSense…there are a lot of metrics involved. This works for me because I’m a geek with a spreadsheet.

I am Naturally Helpful

One of the reasons why I keep trying to make the blogs happen is because I love helping people. I love sharing my experiences, what has worked for me, ideas, and things that may help other people.

I’ve received quite a few messages on the blogs and YouTube channel about how I helped someone in some way. In one instance, the individual went as far as to tell me how I’ve helped him keep his family afloat by helping him learning more about freelance writing.

It’s those kinds of things that keep me doing what I do. Even ColoradoPlays.com donates 30% of everything that comes in from AdSense revenue to Extra Life and other game-related charities. I would donate more, but I still need operational costs.

At the end of the day, most of what I do isn’t about the money. It’s about helping everyone I can in some fashion.

Always Striving for What’s Next

Another element that helps me avoid burning out as a writer is that I’m always working towards the next greatest thing. I went from being a writer for content mills to a published author. Next, I plan on screenplays and acting out a few scenes from my books.

I continue to evolve and grow. This involves a lot of learning, dedication, and motivation. Sometimes things don’t always work as I intend. But that doesn’t stop me from seeing what’s on the horizon and continuing the journey.

The bottom line is that I’m never bored. There is always something I could work on to improve my skills in some way. And I’ll probably keep doing it until the day I die.

Never Giving Up is My Nature

I hate the thought of giving up on something. So, my motto is the line from Galaxy Quest, “Never give up, never surrender.”

As a writer, I started to practice thinking more objectively. This is when you view your abilities without the inclusion of emotions and based purely on raw data.

So, I could sit here and pout saying that I suck as a writer because I’ve only sold ten copies of Kingmaker. Or, I could look at it objectively and know that I really haven’t done much to market the book.

It has nothing to do with me “sucking” as a storyteller, and everything to do with me sucking as a marketer. That is a completely different mindset.

In any case, I never give up on anything and simply work to figure out how I can make things work. If there is one thing I am awesome at, it’s research!

Never giving up helps me avoid a burn out as a writer because I know that I’m simply in the process of evolution. It’s not going to be quick and easy. But I know that staying the course and making logical adjustments will get me to where I want to go.

Gauging Your Own Success as a Writer

Perhaps one of the biggest contributors that I’ve seen for a writer to face a burn out is the perception of success.

All too often, I see authors talking about throwing in the towel because they haven’t hit some elaborate goal or because they don’t sell a lot of books. While I agree that it can be somewhat soul-crushing, it may say less of you as a writer than it does as a marketer.

I can’t repeat this enough, but people are not going to buy your book if they don’t know it exists. Plain and simple.

But, what if you’ve done everything “experts” say such as promoting on social media, paying for Amazon ads, and whatnot? Actually, there is a lot more involved in marketing that a lot of people don’t often talk about when it comes to selling books.

For one thing, consider how saturated the market is right now, even before AI-generated garbage started hitting Amazon. There are hundreds of writing channels on YouTube that have been showing writers how to publish or even game the system for more than a decade.

You’re competing with A LOT of content, especially with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing.

This isn’t to mention how difficult it is to find a groove on social media. In most cases that I’ve seen, random comments get far more likes and attention than someone promoting their book.

So, are you a success because you can quit your full-time job and do nothing but write books all day? Or, are you a success because you’ve written and published a book?

Think about this, most people who say they’re going to write a book never go beyond 20,000 words before giving up. Just finishing the first draft puts you ahead of most people.

Don’t feel like you’re about to burn out as a writer simply because you can’t sell more books. You just gotta find that marketing method that gets your book in front of your audience. It’s out there, as long as you don’t give up and keep looking.

Don’t Burn Yourself Out as a Writer

There are a lot of things out there that can suck the wind out of your sails. The trick is to bust out the ores and keep paddling toward your destination.

Sometimes this means changing up a habitual routine to better suit your needs and wants.

There are plenty of ways you can avoid a burn out whether you’re a writer or some other content creator. All it takes is to find the methods that keep you productive and happy.

If you hate what you do, it’ll be a miserable existence, indeed.

Michael Brockbank
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