Writer’s Burnout is Real. This is How I Overcome It.
Five tips to stay passionate about writing.
--
I was riding in my car with my mom a few months ago. We were catching up on life. She asked, "How many posts have you written in total?"
She rarely asks me writing questions. I said, "Oh, I don't know. 5000? 6000?"
She said, "Noooo…" with a half-laugh. She thought I was insane.
Here's the thing. I wrote those posts over 5–6 years. It's not like I am more productive than other writers. I've just managed to stay consistent and avoid burnout.
If anything, I love writing more than ever. Here are my tricks.
Keep the horse in front of the cart
I get so many questions about making money with writing. I've joked that asking for free writing advice is the "send nudes" of my profession.
And I get it. People have day jobs they hate. Many want side hustles. Who doesn't want a few extra bucks?
The creator economy has exploded, which is crazy — because a few years ago, nobody was paying online writers.
I wrote for free for the first three years.
I worked a stiff corporate job that left my creative side feeling repressed. Writing was my escape. I didn't have to worry about my performance reviews or annoying coworkers. I was in love.
If you only write for money, you'll end up writing about things you hate writing about.
It will become no different from a miserable day job.
Half of my articles are focused on mass audiences and things the platform incentivizes. The other half is just stuff I enjoy writing: history, humor, and wildlife.
Start with love. Focus on the craft and things you enjoy. That is the ideal forge to start from.
Humanize the writing experience
Involve other people. It matters in a big way. Writing can be a lonely profession, even if you’re highly introverted like me.
My girlfriend and I talk about writing all the time. There isn't a draft I publish that she hasn't heard a bit about.
