Sometimes it’s not that you burned out on writing. Sometimes it’s that you burned out on writing a specific project. I know I’ve been there before, and I’m there right now. I powered through most of three novels, a novella, and outlines for five more novellas, and I suspect that it’s time to switch gears.
This happened to me in 2021 as well. I powered through Neophyte of Decimus in 2020 and its sequel in 2021 before I switched to Savior of the Damned. My brain needed that time away from Neophyte because I had run into a wall. So, it got shelved while I worked on other things. I needed the time away because I had burned out, but I also needed time to figure out what else I needed. The premise is one I love, but the novels lacked a certain something I couldn’t pin down. So I took a break.
That’s not to say that those are my only two projects. I have quite a few short stories I want to release on Patreon and then in collections like Tales From 3 AM. But those fill a different creative need, and since they’re shorter, they don’t take up as much of my time. I also have my first novel, which I need to rewrite completely in order to release something I’m proud of.
Beyond that, I’ve been refilling my creative well with video games again. I recently had to reset my Xbox, and while the understanding customer service representative assured me my saves should still be there, I’ve hesitated to load up Tales of Vesperia to find out. Instead, my partner and I are going through some of the Persona games. I draw a lot of inspiration from video games, so it’s giving me a break while also allowing me time to let my creative drive reset. I’ve also been reading more too, mostly short stories in the form of magazines I’ve been meaning to read but haven’t gotten to just yet. Doing these things helps refill my creative drive, and it’s all entertaining as well. Sometimes writing can feel a little too much like work, which is a common reason I develop writer’s block. By stepping back and giving my drive a chance to refill, especially by binging stories in other forms, it helps remove that block and make it fun again. Because writing should be fun. Sure, it’s hard work, and it can often feel like it, but when it’s so hard you start to resent it, or dread it, it’s time to focus on other things.
I’m not sure when Neophyte of Decimus will be done. It needs so much work I’m rewriting most of it, which will keep me occupied. With Savior of the Damned, however, it’s time for editing by professionals, so there’s not much to do there except twiddle my thumbs. I think Neophyte of Decimus is the break my brain sorely needs. It will be hard to rewrite most of it, but it will pay off in the end.