Comments on: 5 Things to Do When You’re Experiencing Writer’s Burnout

By: Fran

Fran — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:32:11 +0000

I suggest following the advice of Julia Cameron and writing what she calls “morning pages.” These are 3 pages, hand-written first thing in the day about anything. Don’t self-edit. Just let go and fill the pages with anything, even your grocery list. Pretty soon you will loosen up.

By: Melanie

Melanie — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:38:25 +0000

I’m going to encourage you to “gut it out”! But here’s a few words of encouragement, that will hopefully help, if only a little!

1. Writing in your journal counts as writing! LOL

2. Your comment about “everything I write is trash.” My advice is to just go ahead and write trash:

it will keep you in the groove

you can always go back and edit it into a state of absolute and utter brilliance later

I see trash being published all the time! One person’s trash is another person’s treasure … that’s why they have garage sales.

Melanie

By: Angelica

Angelica — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:45:17 +0000

I think I might be going through writer’s block now. Or, at any rate, I have a couple of ideas in my head, but I barely even know where to begin them, or the words to find to keep them going. Not only that but I feel like everything I write is trash. I haven’t been writing for about a week- just some entries in my journal, and I’ve been reading a lot for relaxation and also to see if it can inspire me. It’s just hard- I’m stressed out a lot from outside sources as well (I’m a college student aspiring to become a writer/journalist).

Hopefully I can get some things going again soon. This long weekend could help. I’ve been writing literally since I was about five years old, and I’ve only experienced this one other time. Guess I’ll have to ride it out for now.

By: Darrell Lindsey

Darrell Lindsey — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:09:31 +0000

It’s better to be burned out now and then than to be rusted out.

By: Victoria

Victoria — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:20:53 +0000

If you’re experiencing writer’s burnout, then don’t write until it passes. If you do write, it will most likely not turn out very well, and may even lower your self-esteem, pushing you deeper into your burnout. Just wait. The sun is always its brightest after the darkest of nights.

By: Melanie

Melanie — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:01:43 +0000

Thanks for your comments! I agree … sometimes reading a couple of good books can inspire you to get back to your own projects once again.

By: Wajeeha

Wajeeha — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:31:49 +0000

Very good tips here. I’ve had a writer’s block only twice during the years that I’ve been writing and I’m 25 and not a full-time writer. What I did at that time was siut back and read a book, (I’m a BIG bookworm as well), a favorite book, or chat to my best friend about what I’d been writing. Discussing what you write is not a recommended thing to do, but, well, I trust my friend too much, I guess, and I discussed it with her, and voila! what we say in urdu, “tayen tayen fish!!” (means it disappeared like it was never there.
I don’t get burnouts, thank God, have been writing since I was 14 years old (grade 8), and I’m happy. =) For those of you who do, do what you love to do best, after writing, and it’d run with its tail between its legs.
Ciao!

By: Melanie

Melanie — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:45:23 +0000

Great tip. Relaxing over something relatively “mindless” seems to take away the pressure … which frees up the mind to deliver us inspiration!

By: Lori Liddell

Lori Liddell — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:24:35 +0000

One thing that has helped me is to step back and do something that doesn’t require much thought, like going fishing. Taking my mind completely off what I’m working on, seems to help me work through the blocks.

By: steve

steve — Fri, 29 May 2009 00:22:29 +0000

a good way to get rid of writers block is to learn how to clear your mind. relax, or meditate.