Doesn't matter what kind of break (going outside, reading a book, writing on another story) just wondering if you take breaks at all. More explicitly, taking breaks to avoid burnout on an idea. Part of my problem is after I write a chapter or three I lose interest in an idea. One of the only 'fixes' I have discovered is to take a break and temporarily work on a 'new' idea. By the time I'm done writing the 'break' chapter I'm interested in writing the other project again.
I wouldn't call that "burnout" necessarily. Burnout is when you abandon an impossible task out of fatigue or frustration. Like a job where the goals become unattainable. Writing makes steady progress toward a very tangible goal. Getting bored with it, like you said, isn't frustration at all. It's just boredom. If you have to take measures to stave off disinterest, it probably wasn't interesting in the first place.
Eh, I'm not sure 'getting bored' of the idea is the right wording. It's more like I lose that initial 'oh this is a fun idea' spark after a few chapters. Like the majority of the time I still WANT to work on the project, but at some point, usually three or so chapters in, that initial flash of muse just goes kaput. I think half of my problem is that I'm a huge pantser. I often write a story with zero plan of it from beginning to end. If there's any sort of frustration going on, I'd certainly argue the feeling of being 'lost' once you reach that point where the starting idea for the story ends kinda kills the mood. I guess I get distracted by multiple ideas too easily, but at the same time I feel like I HAVE to take a break sometimes, especially if I'm stuck on a scene.
I rarely get burnt out, but I do switch between projects depending on what's most interesting to me at the moment. I usually have 2-5 things I'm actively working on at once, which are tonally different to suit whatever I'm feelin' when I sit down to write. When I do get burnt out, I just have to stop writing for a bit. I mean, I don't, usually; I just keep picking at whatever I'm trying to write, and do a bad job of it. But theoretically I have to take a break from writing.
No because I don't burn out. I've been writing constantly for many years. I'll write a book, the next day I'll start editing one and immediately thereafter, I start plotting my next one. Today is my official "first day" of writing a new book, although I actually wrote the first chapter on Friday. It'll be done in a month and the process starts over again.
the problem with jumping from project to project to alieviate boredom is its very easy to wind up with a lot of half written then abandoned projects... better to push through and finish one and then fix anything that didn't work in the self edit I take breaks in the sense of not constantly writing for the whole day because obviously there needs to be food, work, dog walking etc... but i don't take days off unless for family occasions or emergencies
I've had "burnout denial" for quite awhile now. I put out two books within 7 months, while freelancing steadily. Then picked up a PT job, went back to work FT, and kept freelancing (all writing jobs), and trying to make headway on a third book but on the rare occasion I can sit and write for myself and not others, I have nothing but fog brain. Like literally feel a cloud in my head. I'm trying to work through it but I've avoided using the "B" word until recently.
I've tried this new project management that was suggested to me on another forum about working several books at once. And it's three books each in the different phrases of the following formula. Prewrite: This is where I'm "getting the parts in." I'm planning the theme, the characters, and kind of the story. I might be studying some mythologies or cultures to try and find where I can draw inspiration or looking at other works in the same genre that try and do the same thing. I might play around with a few "test scenes" to see what style I should take with the prose or how certain characters might act in various situations of this world. Drafting: This book is where I'm actively writing and tweaking to get the story. This can include hammering out the story so that it's actually on paper or letting it "rest" before revisiting it again and writing out another draft. This is also where a lot of major changes can still be made without interfering with my schedule because I'm still figuring the story out. This phase can also include getting critiques from other authors and writers in order to see what problems I might have missed. Re-Writing: This is part of the drafting phase. This is where I go through the entire "final draft" and just rewrite the entire thing. I'm taking out pointless words and phrases, taking the feedback and getting it really polished. If I do this phase well, it may not be so bad when I bring it to the next phase. Post writing: This is where I sent it to the editor for a professional run through. If I did my job well, their job should be easy. But it's always a good idea Not to have a book in the drafting phase while this phase is going on. Because it might very well be that the editor comes back with some major feedback.
