Writing Through Burnout: Gentle Tips for Hard Days

Some days, the words just don’t come.

Not because we’ve run out of ideas, not because we’re not real writers, and not because we’re lazy. Sometimes the brain is simply foggy. The heart is tired. The body is asking us to rest, even as the blank page calls our name like a whisper we feel guilty for ignoring.

If you’re here, chances are you're like me and trying to write while completely burnt out—or at least teetering on the edge. First of all, I want to say this clearly: you are not alone, and you’re not broken. Writing through burnout is not about pushing harder. It’s about approaching your craft with a different outlook that acknowledges your humanity.

Here are a few gentle tips to keep you company on the hard days:

1. Lower the Bar (Seriously, Lower It)

On tough days, “write 1,000 words” can feel like asking yourself to sprint a marathon uphill, barefoot. Instead, try this: write a sentence. Just one. If more comes, great. If not, you still showed up. You still honored your voice and worked towards your goal.

Even writing in a note on your phone or scrawling something half-formed in the margins of a grocery list counts. Tiny words are still words.

2. Switch Mediums

Sometimes burnout isn't about the story—it’s about how we’re telling it. Doodle your scene in stick figures. Write in a notebook instead of a screen. Or if you're brave - because I still haven't tried, try voice memos or speech to text. Rearranging how we interact with our writing can disrupt the mental rut and reintroduce a sense of play.

Burnout hates play. So, play, even if it’s messy. In fact, the messier the play the better - I think my daughter might've taught me that.

3. Keep a “Gentle Projects” Folder

This is your permission slip folder. A space for loose, low-pressure ideas: character snippets, worldbuilding details, mood boards, listicles like “Ten Things My Protagonist Hates More Than War.” These are pieces you write with your shoulders relaxed. Here's a list of ideas for gentle projects that I use or find inspiration from.

Gentle projects are something I find to be a little bit of a guilty pleasure. Sometimes, it feels indulgent—like I’m wasting a writing session designing a holiday that might never make it into the actual story. But the truth is, that kind of work matters. It’s not just fluff. It's time spent deepening my understanding of the world I’ve created—what the people believe in, what brings them together, even which species attend and how they celebrate. Do goblins dance? It’s sometimes the behind-the-scenes magic that strengthens everything else.

4. Celebrate Invisible Progress

Thinking about your story? That counts. Daydreaming about dialogue while doing dishes? That counts too. Resting and letting your subconscious puzzle something out in the background? Also counts.

Creativity doesn’t always look like words on a page. But that doesn’t make it any less real.

5. Write What You Need to Hear

Some of the most powerful writing we’ll ever do starts with the words I don’t know what I’m doing, or I’m tired, or I wish someone would understand this. If your characters feel out of reach, write to yourself. Turn your feelings into a journal entry, a letter, a scene between two strangers sitting in silence. In my case, it looked like a blog post for you all on how to overcome burnout.

Let yourself be the main character today.

6. Let It Be Enough

Maybe today you don’t write anything. Maybe all you do is reread an old piece and remember that you’ve done this before—you can do it again. That counts. Being a writer doesn’t mean writing constantly. It means returning when you can and letting the love for it outlast the noise.

Burnout doesn’t get the final word. You do.

And even when you’re quiet, that still counts as part of the story.

Gentle Reminder:

You are allowed to rest.

You are allowed to not be productive.

You are allowed to write slowly, badly, or not at all right now.

This season will pass. And when it does, you’ll still be a writer.

Even now, you already are.