I recently just finished a novel that I wrote and edited in under five months. I worked daily for multiple hours at stretch, completing three full drafts and over a dozen edit passes. My novel is currently with a copy editor. I know what you’re thinking… more edits! The good news is that most of my work is done. That said, I’m exhausted.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my novel, but writing it in such a short period was a lot for me. And now that it’s temporarily in someone else’s care, the last thing I feel like doing is writing something new. The feeling is similar to the burnout I used to experience in college after finals, and reminiscent of the hesitation I felt about conceiving after delivering my son. FYI, I had a thirty-two-hour labor. I don’t feel ready to put pen to paper. Mostly because I know how hard and grueling writing a novel can be and how the process can take over your life.

 “So, just take a break,” you say. The problem is, like many of you, I have obligations that require me to write. So, what’s the solution? What can you do when you can’t put space and time between yourself and the previous project before you start a new one? How do you motivate yourself to begin a new book or write a new article when you’re still recovering from writing the last one?  Below is a list of mental motivators.

1. Remind yourself that each writing project is unique. Like children, some are harder to handle than others. Just because your last project was difficult, it doesn’t mean the next one will be as arduous.
2. Think about all the skills you learned as a result of completing your previous project. Regardless of the scope, future projects will likely go more smoothly because you’ll take what you’ve learned and apply it.
3. Focus on the parts of the writing process that you love. I love writing first drafts and figuring out my story. But other writers love polishing up their novel through editing. Keep telling yourself, “I GET to do this thing I love. How lucky am I?” Having a positive mental attitude can be the game-changer
4. Take advantage of your writing community and share your fears and doubts with other writers. Sometimes just knowing that you have someone you can talk to, if and when things get tough, makes all the difference. It’s like walking on a trapeze and knowing you have a safety net. You’re bound to be way more comfortable, or less focused on slipping up.
5. If you need help, get it. This can take some of the pressure off. In my case, because I’m not as confident about editing, I hired an editor to lighten my load.
6. Share and talk up your story with yourself and others. I often find that when I tell someone about the novel I’m writing, they get super excited, and their excitement energizes and motivates me.
7. Read. Read. Read. For me, reading great stories always inspires me to write. Reading always reminds me of why I started writing novels and why I want to keep writing them.

I hope these tips help you! Thanks for reading. What do you do when you’re burned out from writing and can’t take a break? I’d love to hear your thoughts about this issue.