tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post7234066085927788019..comments2024-01-24T05:13:06.164-08:00Comments on Not Your Usual Suspects: I SPY: BurnoutSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11286314155783213006noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-76985950943401913422016-02-03T07:19:40.227-08:002016-02-03T07:19:40.227-08:00Thanks, Mia. I'm definitely working on the sel...Thanks, Mia. I'm definitely working on the self-care this year. ;)Anne Marie Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17603878676306179018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-70672757111910115062016-02-02T19:03:36.750-08:002016-02-02T19:03:36.750-08:00Anne Marie - what an awesome post for the New Year...Anne Marie - what an awesome post for the New Year. It's a great reminder of how to take care of ourselves as build our careers. Mia Kayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15250285656021188816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-42209538016349470332016-02-02T09:26:51.242-08:002016-02-02T09:26:51.242-08:00Alison, I'm so glad you stopped by, and that y...Alison, I'm so glad you stopped by, and that you shared your own experience. It was intimidating to admit that I'm not all-powerful (shh, don't tell my kids!). But it does help to know we aren't alone.<br /><br />And you hit the nail on the head -- just because we don't write at the same pace as others, doesn't make us any less than them. We have this gift for a reason, and we'll share it when we're ready. ;) Good luck!Anne Marie Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17603878676306179018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-35821674508241855632016-02-02T09:24:48.816-08:002016-02-02T09:24:48.816-08:00Yes, Toni, why do we put those pressures on oursel...Yes, Toni, why do we put those pressures on ourselves? I figured I'm a perfectionist and Type A and all of that, which makes it that much more intense. I was trying to do 3 books in 2015, when 2 books is closer to my norm. So yeah, I'll be keeping that in mind for 2016. :)Anne Marie Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17603878676306179018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-62129110664451826722016-02-01T20:29:17.160-08:002016-02-01T20:29:17.160-08:00Anne Marie...I read your post and the subsequent r...Anne Marie...I read your post and the subsequent replies and finally felt like I wasn't alone. Thank you for sharing your experience. It took me much longer than it took you to realize that taking a much needed break wasn't the end of the world. And that even if I can't keep up with the pace of other writers, it doesn't make me any less of one. Thank you, again. Great post.Alison Packardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14243405015965918381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-31350439217091925722016-02-01T19:06:20.355-08:002016-02-01T19:06:20.355-08:00Anne Marie, it's kind of crazy in many ways. T...Anne Marie, it's kind of crazy in many ways. The pressures we put on ourselves as authors is intense. No wonder you hit the wall.<br /><br />One of the reasons I only get a couple of books out a year is that I do give myself permission to take a break sometimes, although it also feels like I never actually stop working LOL. But--I think I know my limits and pay more attention to them now. When I don't, I pay for it.<br /><br />I am glad you took time off. I had two weeks at Christmas and could do with another week to recover :) But 'a change is as good as a rest' as they say.<br /><br />I hope you get through it. I hope you find a more workable schedule with more things that you enjoy doing as part of your routine. <3 ((())) I'm always here for you. I hope you know that. Toni Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006694783089788568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-14083806288587669122016-02-01T18:00:12.967-08:002016-02-01T18:00:12.967-08:00It makes me smile every time I think of you writin...It makes me smile every time I think of you writing what you want, Rita. I love that attitude. And it's self-preservation, too. :) And I agree that this seems to be a trend I'm seeing...the overproduction leading to burnout leading to finding a new balance and taking control. It'll be interesting to see where this leads!Anne Marie Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17603878676306179018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-75228256496567798832016-02-01T17:58:41.210-08:002016-02-01T17:58:41.210-08:00Thanks for stopping by, J. Thomas. It's so tru...Thanks for stopping by, J. Thomas. It's so true that having writer friends helps. Writing is such a solitary endeavor. I'm so glad to hear you're feeling better physically and getting back on track. The physical pain sure can mess up everything else!Anne Marie Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17603878676306179018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-32865822730737581592016-02-01T16:22:53.351-08:002016-02-01T16:22:53.351-08:00Hugs. I feel like this will be the year of authors...Hugs. I feel like this will be the year of authors taking control of their writing. So much of the business is changing and the only thing we CAN control is the writing. None of us are super people not should we want to be. I could go on for days about this. I love writing and I'm writing what I want. It's fun and freeing. Ritahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09054306874904898496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-15965479727225023732016-02-01T15:10:37.716-08:002016-02-01T15:10:37.716-08:00You could be writing about me! Back and leg pain, ...You could be writing about me! Back and leg pain, numbness, and muscle spasms distracted me from writing for months before I got off my duff and saw the doctor. Now, with physical therapy, I'm getting back on track physically so I can get my mind back on track for writing. I also attended the Writers Coffeehouse (a once-a-month meeting of writers at all levels in Willow Grove, PA) yesterday, and that get-together has re-energized my will to write. <br /><br />Thanks for writing this post. It's always heartening to know you're not alone.J. Thomas Rosshttp://www.jthomasross.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-18111581239860525962016-02-01T14:26:56.789-08:002016-02-01T14:26:56.789-08:00Marcelle, thank you for commiserating. :) "Dr...Marcelle, thank you for commiserating. :) "Drought" is the perfect word for it. I felt dried up, used up, or whatever. Just wanted to crawl into a cave until I could rehydrate. ;) And yes, once I stopped fighting myself and listened to what my body and mind needed, it helped SO much! Congrats on finding that oasis!! :DAnne Marie Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17603878676306179018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-13944489802277345892016-02-01T14:25:22.220-08:002016-02-01T14:25:22.220-08:00Oh man, Cathy, that's so right. I really debat...Oh man, Cathy, that's so right. I really debated about posting this. It's hard to admit I'm not the Wonder Woman I want to be. :) But being human isn't so bad, either.Anne Marie Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17603878676306179018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-5206576933087618362016-02-01T14:24:41.554-08:002016-02-01T14:24:41.554-08:00Elise, thank you. I'm still working on that re...Elise, thank you. I'm still working on that recovery, but I feel much more balanced by limiting the time I focus on writing. It's helping, and I'm starting to get that spark back. :)Anne Marie Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17603878676306179018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-5499869051786894182016-02-01T11:36:38.967-08:002016-02-01T11:36:38.967-08:00Oh, Anne Marie. I know exactly what you're goi...Oh, Anne Marie. I know exactly what you're going through. I'm only now starting to pull out of a six-month drought. It was scary. I just could not write. Finally I gave up trying and gave myself permission to do other things, like reconnect with friends, go to concerts and plays, go to art shows, spend time in coffee shops, binge on television shows, and read, read, read. It worked. Slowly I realized that a story idea was starting to crowd every else out and now I'm about a third of the way through the new novel.<br /><br />Sounds like your mojo is back, too. Sometimes, you just have to take a step back.Marcelle Dubéhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18164965676254630066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-1499517042385342016-02-01T09:41:55.762-08:002016-02-01T09:41:55.762-08:00Thanks for sharing, Anne Marie. It's tough to ...Thanks for sharing, Anne Marie. It's tough to admit we aren't SuperWoman. <br /><br />Your post really resonated - too many balls in the air, pulled too many directions. Thanks for the insight - and empathy - into a way forward. CathyPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04671747592743029540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-78424813361259654592016-02-01T09:23:16.932-08:002016-02-01T09:23:16.932-08:00A beautiful blog--you did all the right things to ...A beautiful blog--you did all the right things to recover. A piece for all of us to remember when we hit the doldrums. Thank you. Elise Warnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12111849185666548945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-82550601666564585482016-02-01T08:32:08.137-08:002016-02-01T08:32:08.137-08:00Thank you, Jean. It was really hard to write this ...Thank you, Jean. It was really hard to write this post, and I debated whether to post it at all. It is scary to admit that we can hit that wall. (And I can't wait to share the cover! But I AM waiting until I have a release date and a blurb to share along with it. :) ) thanks for stopping by and commenting!Anne Marie Beckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17603878676306179018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545210782126483136.post-58537432077636246172016-02-01T05:37:21.217-08:002016-02-01T05:37:21.217-08:00Anne Marie, Your blog reached that dark, scary pla...Anne Marie, Your blog reached that dark, scary place in anyone who has ever tried to write a book. The self-doubt, the brick wall, the burnout all sounded familiar. No doubt,you did the right thing--regrouped, focused your energies and rested from constantly having to "produce." Glad it worked! Also, setting yourself a time goal for writing rather than a word count goal is wise and will, as you point out, lead to a complete manuscript with far less pressure on the journey. And you've made me curious about that cover! jean harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04925805990806522316noreply@blogger.com