WRITING TIPS

vii. stop with the mary sue's

As a writer and a person, I've been going through it. From April to June, I hit this amazing writer's peak, and I was writing so many chapters ahead of time, making graphics for myself, editing my stories, and spending time planning new ones. I was on a roll. And then July slapped me. To say the least, I'm burned out and all out of creativity and motivation. So, here I am: giving you advice as a fellow author because I refuse to begin another book.

To put it shortly, this is a chapter that I thought I would include because it's something I feel some people may need to hear and something I know I need to hear.

You are and allowed and empowered to take a break.

Now, I am not an authority figure in any of your lives and cannot demand you to do anything you don't want to do. But I am a creator on w*****d and do know what it's like to be writing on this platform. At some point, you burn out and want a break. However, some of us feel this unspoken and invisible pressure to constantly update when we say we will, constantly be writing, and producing new books at a nearly impossible rate.

I feel this pressure all the time and it sucks

I feel this responsibility and duty to update and provide as much content as possible, as soon as possible. To not let them down. It's a mentality that some writers adapt to one that can become our down. For me, it's my Achilles heel.

Taking a much deserved and needed break from writing is something you may contemplate doing, yet never actually make it a reality. As writers, we tend to overlook our brains without realizing it and this causes burnout. The term burnout is defined as "a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant standards." These demands can be real, imaginary, or mental, but are demands that bring along a sense of pressure nonetheless.

If we keep working ourselves without ever stopping, especially when it comes to writing, we can lose sight of why we love writing in the first place and lose sight of our desired destinations. If you find that this describes where you are right now, then take a break. The last thing any of us need is to lose sight of the reasons why we write and lose focus on who we are, as writers.

Sometimes taking a break can be just what the doctor ordered.

Now, taking a break does not mean that you and I can't think about writing or brainstorming new ideas. It just means that maybe we take a step back from a particular project, chapter, layout and allow our minds to rest. By distancing ourselves from our work, when we eventually decide to return, we can be re-energized and filled with a vibrant sense of creativity and imagination. Our focus will be sharper and we will be more objective when writing or editing. We may even come back with some of our greatest material yet.

So, I implore you to take a deep breath, close the tab, shut the computer screen, take a step back, and take a breath. Not only do you deserve it, but it's important to give yourself time to rest and heal. Put yourself first. It's never a bad thing.

You are allowed and empowered to take a break.