In which a bunch of authors & editors are invited to answer the question: How do you deal with creative exhaustion?
I haven’t suffered from creative exhaustion or burnout, though I do find my huge epic fantasy series physically and mentally draining. For this reason, at the end of each series I always write something completely different – a series of Eco-thrillers, for instance, or YA novels, or kid’s books. This wipes the slate and refreshes the mind, and I can return to the next big series with excitement rather than dread, having learned new skills on the way. I can also recommend afternoon naps, vigorous exercise, reading way outside the genre you write in, and zombieing out for a while (if I can use so vulgar a term).
– Ian has written 27 novels, 13 of them in the past 6 years; he sometimes finishes a book in the morning and starts the next one after lunch.