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I’ve been pushing myself really hard since 2016, the year I started publishing and somehow put out four books in seven months.

Each year I told myself I wouldn’t work so hard, but I kept on and sometimes added even more.

And now, almost four years later, my characters won’t talk to me. That’s a big problem because I can’t write without them.

So I think I may be reaching the burnout point. Luckily, I’m not fully there, but I think I’m getting close.

Looking back on my year, it’s not surprising:

Suffrage Movement Book:

• Researched two sample chapters.
• Wrote sample chapters (17,315 words)
• Co-wrote proposal.
• Queried agents with co-author.
• Shelved book.

Virginia and Francis Minor biography:

• Researched 105,557 words of notes.
• Took research trip to University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
• Wrote proposal and sample chapter.
• Queried agents.
• Project on hold.

Historical fiction book:

• 9,041 words of notes (not complete)
• Project on hold due to project below.

WWII book:

• Researched 21,634 words
• Developed detailed 7 page outline, with becomes 40 pages with notes.
• Did this in three weeks.
• Wrote 6,218 words.
• Now the book is refusing to cooperate.

Other writing:

• Wrote a short story for an anthology – 10,000 words
• Researching book chapter: The Ethics of Writing Guinevere for the Modern Age.
  • So far at 15,410 words of notes.
  • Have four articles and two books to go.
• Wrote three articles for NINC newsletter.
• Reported on 11 sessions from the NINC Conference.

That’s a total of 185,175 words written (not counting the articles and reporting), even if most were notes.

Other 

• Attended four conferences, speaking at two.
• Spoke at five other events.
• Conducted a successful USA Today bestseller list campaign.
• Read 86 books (not including research) to date. Will likely hit 100 by end of year.

Oh and I have a full-time job.

But yet I hesitate to let myself have a break.

1. I’m not sure I know how. I don’t know how to person without writering.
2. I worry someone else will get to this latest book before I do.
3. I feel like I always need to be doing something.
4. I worry that taking a break will harm my career.

Yet, I know I have to slow down/stop for a while. The only thing I can muster energy and interest in right now is playing Covet Fashion on my Kindle. That is not a good thing because it costs money, rather than making me money. And it takes up time I could be using for writing. But at least it is a creative outlet, I guess. (And I am a damn good stylist!)

I know how I got myself here; now I just have to figure out how to get out of it.