Writing Through Burnout

We’ve all been there.

You’ve got an amazing idea for a story, blog post, or article that the world needs to read. You feel the excitement building as the pieces come together in your mind. With nothing but your muse to guide you, you head straight for the blank page.

And… nothing happens.

You try to coax that dim spark of inspiration into a flame, but the winds of doubt have other plans. Eventually, you give up, promising yourself you’ll come back after you’ve walked the dog, done the dishes, or scrolled through Reddit for four and a half hours. You call this “refilling the creative well,” but deep down, you know all you really want to do is write.

Fear not, fellow writer. I’ve walked this path more times than I can count, and I promise you can find your way back.

Here are five ways I’ve pushed through burnout—and how you can, too.

1. Write anyway

The secret to staying in shape isn’t running every day—it’s keeping your body in motion, even in small ways. Same goes for exercising the so-called “creative muscle.” Even if inspiration feels out of reach, just start writing. Write anything: a grocery list, a to-do list, a thought, a joke, a memory. Write that silly idea you had at 3AM, write the first chapter of that book you’ve been putting off, write your author biography (it may come in handy one day).

Your inner critic will insist this is not your best work—that you should wait until you have a better idea or a proper outline to get started. This voice is designed to steer you away from rejection, but it can also be a liar. The world needs your words, but they won’t show up unless you do.

2. Remember your younger self

The beautiful thing about being young is the lack of self-doubt. This is why kids sing, dance, and paint with abandon—they create simply because they can. Personal expression is an inherently human trait.

Most writers I know started young. I began telling stories at eight, drawing on TV shows for character inspiration. In high school, I studied the way my favourite authors crafted compelling narratives. I paid close attention to the world around me and poured those details into my work hoping to bring it to life.

My younger self honestly believed I could make a living as a writer. She had no idea that you can love something so much that you start to hate it, and she certainly didn’t fear an army of online book reviewers cutting her off at the knees.

But how could I possibly look at that starry-eyed thirteen year old and tell her she’s wasting her time—that finding success as a writer is based on things like luck and marketing and not just plain, hard work?

I couldn’t. Instead, I’d tell her to keep going. No matter what.

3. Write a breakup letter to your writing

Yes, it sounds unhinged. But did it work for me? You bet.

There have been times when I could think of nothing but writing. It gave me strength, courage, and a deeper understanding of myself than most people will ever know. Best of all, it gave me permission to be vulnerable, like any healthy relationship should.

But what happens when a relationship turns sour? When the lines of communication break down and the trust disappears?

I could have just… ghosted my writing, but treating that part of myself—the part that desperately needed to get the words out at all cost—like a best friend one day and a stranger the next hardly seemed fair. So I “broke up” with my muse as if it were a living, breathing person.

As I said, this is not my sanest take. But hear me out.

When I wrote my “Dear writing: I’m breaking up with you” letter, it forced me to examine the reasons why I no longer wanted writing in my life. Among my grievances were the constant pressure to be productive; the inability to settle on a genre; wanting to explore other careers; the negative impact my inner critic was having on my mental health; and of course, the insidious fear that I was wasting my time.

As you know, I took writing back, but only after I’d worked on myself.

4. Seek out inspiration in unexpected places

Virtually every successful writer will tell you that the secret to writing well is reading often. And I agree with that, to an extent.

When I was severely burnt out and unhappy with every idea I had, reading other people’s books was a distraction. I couldn’t lose myself in the story because I was too busy unpacking the metaphors and grappling with the supposed ease of their writing style. Look at these sentences, traipsing across the page with perfect syntax and impeccable grammar. I’ll never be that good.

Yes, writers should be readers, but they can also be painters, cooks, gamers, and YouTubers. Having other hobbies, especially creative ones, can often free you from whatever inhibitions are standing in the way of your writing. My inner critic is awfully quiet whenever I’m drawing—probably because I’ve never put any pressure on myself to be great at it.

5. Be kind to yourself

You’re not a bad writer because you’re burnt out. You’re just so passionate about your craft that you let it overwhelm you. You were so determined to prove yourself that you lost sight of why you started.

It’s okay—it happens to the best of us.

The blank page will always be there. Yes, discipline is important and writing in spite of your doubt is the ultimate power move. But it shouldn’t feel like running a marathon with a Charlie horse.

Your inner critic is wrong. Someone already needs your writing, and that someone is you.

*****

If you’ve ever battled burnout, I’d love to hear your story. What helped you through it? What advice would you give your younger writer self?

Drop a comment below or share this post with a fellow creative who might need the reminder.

Keep writing. You’ve got this.