How Do I Pick Up The Pieces with Writing After Burning Out?

Welcome to “Ask the Coach.” As a writing coach, I answer questions from writers about making the work of writing happen, tackling craft, business, and personal questions along the way. (Have a question you’d like answered? Check the details at the end of the article about how to submit one.)

Today I’m responding to a writer about picking up the pieces after getting burned out:

Yes! It’s tricky once we fall out of the habit of writing to get back on track. The good news is that it won’t take much to get you going again, even though it feels like it right now.

1. First, let’s acknowledge: you did the right thing.

From where I’m sitting, as someone who also had to recover from creative burnout recently, you did the right thing in taking time off to recharge. Pushing through and trying to generate more work from a burned out state would not result in your best writing.

Let’s also acknowledge this: If you’re not bursting with new ideas and tons of writing energy yet, don’t worry too much. It may just mean you need a little more downtime or recovery time, or need to build back to writing, gradually (more on this below).

2. Next, let’s reframe the time off.

Rather than thinking of the time you took off as “lost time,” try to shift your perspective on it to seeing it as an investment in yourself as a writer and human being. I’m willing to bet your next scripts will be stronger and better due to giving yourself this time and space. 

Similarly, “I failed getting more work out,” deserves reframing as well. We might even go with something like “I chose to wait until I was at my best to do good work again.” Choose a way to think about it keeps you out of paralysis now.

Alternatively, a favorite of mine on the topic of “failure” is this: “There’s no failure, only information.” You learned something about what works and what doesn’t work for you. Don’t worry about catching up. Focus on rebuilding.

Look at other thoughts you might be having and shift them into a more positive light as needed. (A coach can help with this.)

3. Then, let’s see about getting you out of the “rut.”

The best news here is that it’s far easier than it seems to reconnect with writing (fear and doubt are what make it hard, and we have ways around them). 

My recommendation is to restart gradually. It will seem too simple, I know. The part of you that feels worried about making up for lost time will want to fight you (and me) on this, but trust me when I say that if you give yourself a chance to ease back in, you’ll build up quickly to where you want to be with writing.

One of the simplest ways to do this is to tell yourself “I only have to write for x minutes,” where “x” is a small enough number that a) the fearful part of you thinks it can’t be that bad and you might even survive the ordeal, and b) the worried part of you thinks it’s not enough (give them a nice pat on the head). For many writers rebooting their writing practice, a good “x” falls in the 5 to 15-minute range, but I encourage you to experiment and see what feels right to you.

4. Watch for hiccups and revise as needed.

Once you’ve set your number of minutes, write for that length of time — and no more. Then do it again the next day. Etc. 

If you find yourself not writing, revise your “x” downward. This happens when we set too high a target and resistance, fear, and doubt kick in (which is entirely normal and expected). We just have to trick ourselves past those baddies into action.

5. Be aware of your overall state.

I’m also seeing you’re feeling late and behind (and maybe even doubtful about your future as a writer), which creates a panicky and anxious tone, none of which is conducive to creative expression. (It’s nearly impossible to create from a fearful state of mind.) We’ve done some reframing work on some of this already, but let’s move into looking ahead as well.

As you begin writing again, allow yourself to casually observe how your state of mind and being shift and change for the better. It might take a little while to shake off the Not Writing Ick but I’m betting you’ll start to feel more and more like yourself, soon. The reason to pay attention to yourself as you begin to feel better is that it's good fodder to remind yourself with in the future. Writing = happier self. 

6. Notice when you choose “comforts” over writing.

Notice when you do things other than writing when you planned to write — and non-judgmentally observe where things went off the rails. 

Did you pick up your phone and start scrolling when you were meant to write? Good noticing! Most likely that’s happening because some low-level guilt and anxiety have kicked in, and scrolling both matches that energy and gives you a quick dopamine hit that makes you feel better, temporarily.

And, even though those quick hits feel good in the moment, they don’t last, and they don’t solve or help the overall Not Writing Discomfort. That way lies more of the same. Paying attention helps you slow down your choice making. Yes, you’ll have some setbacks, but the key is how you’re handling writing most of the time.

7. Ramp up to more writing, gradually.

As you get back on track with writing, keep ramping up how much you’re writing until you’re at a quantity and frequency of writing that’s sustainable for you. Do this gradually so you don't spook yourself.

Although it’s tempting to pour as much time as possible into writing (and sometimes we have to meet deadlines so we might do a short-term push), overall the goal is to work in a way that allows you to keep writing consistently over the long term.

8. Take care of your creative self.

Along the way, see what you can do to nurture your creative self. This might include looking at what you’re “feeding” yourself in terms of the media you’re taking in. Are you watching, reading, and listening to media that inspires you?

It can also mean getting enough sleep, continuing to get downtime, and anything else that uplifts your spirits and state of mind. For me, listening to favorite songs, reading delightful books, spending time outside looking at the sky, and watching shows that knock my socks off are excellent balms. What are your favorites?

That’s a Wrap

Sometimes we have to push ourselves to meet a deadline or make a project happen, but then what? It takes some effort to overcome the fear, doubt, resistance, anxiety, and worry that follow on the heels of burnout and taking needed time off. Luckily, the path forward can be relatively simple.

And, if you’re in a more complicated place, i.e. dealing with a creative wound or personal challenges in addition to burnout, getting some extra help from a coach or therapist is tremendously helpful. Sometimes we have to rewrite our own “code” for writing at different stages of our lives.

Warmly,

Jenna

Screenwriters, what questions do you have about writing? What stumbling blocks are you wrestling with? Take our short survey here, submit your question to be answered anonymously via my online form here, or email me directly at askthecoach@calledtowrite.com. Look for answers to selected questions in my monthly “Ask the Coach” column on the third Thursday of the month.

Find me on Bluesky @jennaavery.bsky.social.