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Blog Briefs: On Burnout, with Jack Dann

In which a bunch of authors & editors are invited to answer the question: How do you deal with creative exhaustion?

Jack Dann may be best known internationally for his writing. But locally he’s known for his schtick. And warm-heartedness. Here he answers ‘option b’: What strategies do you recommend to writers & artists for creative exhaustion?

 

1) Don’t panic: it just makes it worse. 
2) Put everything on the shelf. You’re not going to make the deadline, anyway; not when you’re in this shape. 
3) Now get rest, read anything that takes your fancy, go to movies, watch tv, Google yourself. 
4) Keep in mind while your watching the complete re-runs of The Jack Benny Show (or in my case, The West Wing) that this counts as work! You’ve used up all your reserves. It’s just time to refuel. It’s a normal part of the creative process. So go forth and read anything and everything. Go with whatever takes your interest, and…
5) Lo and behold, you -will- begin to feel that restless urge to write again.

Jack Dann is a multiple award-winning author who has written or edited over seventy-five books.