It goes beyond mere writer’s block. It doesn’t care about deadlines, and can stopper your writing voice for months at a time. It’s deep, it’s baffling and it’s not often talked about in writing circles.
It’s writer’s burnout.
And whether you’re published or not, prolific or not, writer’s burnout is coming for you. In fact, I’m sure you’ve already experienced it, and perhaps you’re even battling it right now. Are you ready to beat it?
“Failure is not an option.”
We hear it all the time. People have even made T-shirts with that motto. And by saying it’s not an option, we associate failure as a negative thing.
But what if it were an option?
Note: This post is by Jackie Johansen, she is a writer who combines personal development with actionable writing strategies. She is the creator of the ebook, Is Writing a Struggle? How to Author the Words that Inspire the World. Get it free at FinallyWriting.com.
I begin writing by feeling inspired, motivated and with an idea that is pushing on my insides, full of potential, wanting and needing to be expressed. The words start flowing, and my fingers dance across the keyboard.
However, inevitably, my fingers begin to slow-down and eventually they come to a complete stop. I feel deflated, uninspired and full of doubt…
Seth Godin’s Homepage
Note: This is a post by, Angie Dixon. Angie is the author of The Leonardo Trait, she helps creative people live out lives they love. Check out Angie’s creativity quiz at www.leonardotrait.com
I used to tell people that I’m the most insecure person I know; I just hide it well. One day my best friend called me on my insecurity. That’s a best friend’s job, of course, and she did it with two powerful sentences.
“I’m insecure also, but I know the one thing I never feel insecure about is my teaching ability. The one thing you should never feel insecure about is your writing.”
Note: This post is by Gemma Hawdon. Gemma lives in Melbourne, Australia. She writes articles, guest posts and short stories and has just completed a MG children’s fantasy book. She also writes a blog, Top Of The Slush Pile, which documents the adventures of writing a book and trying to get published. T: @gemmaleehawdon
We’re told writing a book is the easy part. ‘Pah!! Wait til you try and publish it!’ they warn us.
And then, after months or years of carefully honing our precious stories we emerge from hibernation, with arthritic fingers and hunched backs, and realise we’ve reached that stage. It’s judgment time…
Note: This is a post by Andy Mort, he is a UK based musician and writer. He’s the founder of SheepDressedLikeWolves.com, which is aimed at encouraging HSPs and introverts to embrace their creativity and push against the expectations of an often overwhelming world. Download his FREE eBook “The Gentle Rebel Manifesto.”
Pronoia is a concept I recently came across thanks to Beth Buelow who writes about it in her book, Insight: Reflections on the Gifts of Being an Introvert.
It is the opposite of paranoia; described as a suspicion that the universe is conspiring on your behalf rather than against you. In other words it’s a belief that the universe is a friendly place, not one that is harsh and unforgiving.
Writers the world over have suffered through unbearable self-doubt and many have overcome it long enough to write words that matter. But some haven’t. And some believe they never will. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Does it?
Recently, I watched all six Rocky movies back to back (yes, even Rocky V). I somehow managed to skirt around those movies throughout my child- and young adulthood. Boxing movie? Something about some steps in Philly? Eh.
Are you ready to answer the question? It’s a simple one. It’s the question that will reveal once and for all whether you’re an artist or not.
Are you afraid?