How to Avoid Writer’s Burn Out

Whether your creativity still feels shot due to “pandemic fatigue,” or you’re running on fumes trying to meet back-to-back writing deadlines, every screenwriter runs the risk of burn out at one time or another. 

Hollywood can make you feel like you need to write every second of every day to be successful. And while yes, putting in the hours is important if you want to be a screenwriter, this career is a marathon not a sprint. Downtime can be just as important as writing time. If you continuously force yourself to sit down at the keyboard when your creative juices are totally dried up, chances are your work is going to be mediocre at best. 

Here are 6 ways to take care of your creativity, yourself, and help ensure a case of writer fatigue doesn’t turn into full blown writer’s burnout.  

1. Start with the basics

The first step in preventing burnout is to take care of the basics. Make sure you are getting plenty of rest, a bit of exercise each day (even a short walk around the block can do the trick), eat healthy-ish foods, and drink lots of water to not only hydrate your body but your brain. Also, take days off! Create a schedule that includes down time. Maybe you write Monday to Friday and take weekends off, or write in the mornings but aim to stop by 4pm each day.  When I work with clients who are on the verge of burnout, I insist they work no more than 2-3 hours a day, 4 days a week… that’s all. These tips might sound overly simple but they can do the trick. You would be surprised how much better your mind works when the basics are taken care of.

2. Take yourself on “Artist Dates”

This tip is borrowed from Julia Cameron’s book, “The Artist’s Way” (which some writers swear by when they’re in a creative slump). Take yourself on weekly “artist dates”. Don’t worry, it’s not as woo woo as it sounds. Basically an artist’s date is a solo, creative outing to help keep you inspired. It could be visiting an art gallery, sketching in the park, going on a solo movie date, or taking a hike in nature (writer Pete Docter apparently had a big breakthrough when he went for a walk through the woods while writing the script for Inside Out - so there has to be something to it). Whatever creative activity sounds exciting to you, give it a try, it might be the creative “reset” you’ve been needing. 

3. Treat Yourself to a Staycation

Take a day away from the keyboard to hang out with friends, go for a trip to the beach with family, or treat yourself to a vacation (or staycation). I know these all sound like obvious ways to keep a good work/life balance, but many writers get in the mindset that they have to grind it out every hour of every day until they write the screenplay that is going to be the big break in their career. I get it. But being social and living your life for a day is not lazy, and it doesn’t mean you don’t take your career seriously. It is essential to your mental health. Plus, giving your brain a true break can spark unexpected inspiration. Who knows, you might solve a script problem you’ve been chewing on. Side benefit: It makes you a more interesting human.

4. Do the Dishes

When your mind is tired and you feel like you’ve run out of good ideas, one of the best things you can do to get your brain back into a state of flow is to do something mundane or repetitive. Do the dishes, take a shower, organize your junk drawer. Let your body work and your mind relax. The key here is to create situations where your mind can wander.

5. 30 minutes on…

I’ve written about the method of writing for 30 minute increments before. But it’s worth mentioning again because it really works! Don’t just take my word for it, Leslye Headland, co-creator of the hit show Russian Doll, used a similar technique when she was trying to write during quarantine. According to the Hollywood Reporter it totally reinvigorated her writing. If you’re feeling rundown but don’t want to take a break from writing completely, try setting a timer for 30 minutes and promise to stop writing for the day once it goes off. Or, if you’re on a writing deadline but your creativity is sapped, try writing for 30 minute increments with small breaks in between.

6. Get Help, If and When You Need It

There’s no shame in asking for help. Post-pandemic creative fatigue is real, and so is writer’s burnout. Plenty of therapists are doing Telehealth appointments and sometimes talking to a therapist can be the quickest way to feel like your old creative self again. On the career end, if you’re stuck on a script problem get your current draft into the hands of a writer friend you trust - it can give you a “justified” break while you wait for their feedback, and who knows their notes might lead you to the creative breakthrough you’ve been hoping for. 

What do you do to beat writer’s burnout? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!