Continued Schedule Shit
Yeah, the MGMH chapter this week isn't happening either. Sorry.
The reasons are fairly personal, but suffice to say I'm a jumble of vibrating stress hormones and little else right now, which does not create a mental environment conducive to writing. Believe me, I've tried! Many times! But a bunch of horrible crap has stacked on top of an already-growing feeling of burnout, and I just need the break. If things stay this bad, it might need to be in addition to my usual scheduled break, but... I always hate doing shit like that, so hopefully that won't be needed.
Those of you who have been with me long enough to have been patrons for Bioshifter and Vigor Mortis might recall a time a couple years ago where the number of written chapters in a month fell down to one, maybe two across both stories, because I was just not listening to my body's need for rest and constantly digging at dry wells. I like to think I've learned my lesson from that, but still... I hate taking breaks. I hate it.
It often feels to me like writing isn't 'real' work, that I 'should' be able to output twelve thousand plus words per week easy peasy lemon squeezy every time, and the only thing preventing it is my own laziness. After all, at my peak I can get my daily wordcount done in like, two or three hours tops. If I was always writing that fast, I could get an entire chapter out in a day. So not being able to get a chapter done in the three days I have allotted for it? How could that be anything but a personal failure?
Well, of course, it doesn't work like that. Creative output is pretty heavily tied to personal mental state, one way or another. The real lesson to learn is that that fact isn't an excuse, it's a skill. As a professional author, it's my job to not wait for the muse, but cultivate it. Structure my life in such a way that my mental state remains ready to write when needed. I have my routines and my schedules and tricks and my clearly-scheduled breaks all so when it is time to write, I can. Even when I'm having an awful day, I have the buffer time to catch up and get the two chapters a week I've promised out onto the page.
So when I have to throw in the towel like this? It sucks. It's me failing at my profession and nothing else. But everyone fails at their profession when shit goes down hard enough, and if I don't accept that things are just gonna get worse. So... thank you all for your patience, and my sincere apologies on the lack of chapters this week. There's a real possibility they're just going to be missed chapters in addition to this week's break, but... we'll see! I'll keep you all posted, and do my best to get myself back in gear.
Wish me luck. I'll need it.
Comments (39)
Sending love for you, take as much time as you want. Your writings are amazing but they shouldnt come at the cost of your health
I don't usually comment but I I just want you to know you are my favorite author regardless of the breaks. I've been subscribed to you for 4 years and have read all of your work. I will always support your writing. Take a break when you need it and write what you want to write; you are worth it.
If you're dealing with a feeling of impending burnout... please don't feel obligated to skip your next break week to make up for this. Both your current stories are at really exciting points right now and we're all desperate to know how it continues, but it won't kill us to wait. Also: i hope your personal problems that have been causing this resolve soon! I wish you good luck/good skill, as appropriate for whatever the problems are about.
Waiting isn't pleasant, but your work is worth it.
I found a huge switch in the tunnel under the wellhouse — the sort a wild-eyed mad scientist clacks upward to trigger The Process — but this just makes it so creatives stop feeling horrible when they aren't fully predictable creativity machines; instead they feel like it's okay & normal to be humans first, creatives second. It'd just be like "oh, the path here is steep, but it'll level out again." I haven't flipped it yet, because, I dunno, what if they need that nasty "I'm failing" feeling as motivation, like how people wouldn't work terrible jobs without the threat of losing health insurance? Or what if they'd become boring & uncreative if they were too comfy, mentally? I do think about it some days, though
The brain is not too unlike a muscle. Overuse constantly every day will burn any part of the body out, noggin included! Body builders and such know this and a very real and very key part of them getting jacked is taking breaks, taking those rest days to let the muscles rest and spend proper time recovering so they can come back stronger. This is compounded a bit since your brain, not unlike the heart, doesnt really get to just "turn off" for any extended length of time. Even sleeping means doing maintenance and such... So you Do absolutely need some extended periods of low activity chill and relax time to stay healthy in a creative job like writing for a living. So while I realize you cant generally beat emotions with logic, please do remember when you feel bad for taking breaks or for needing to do so? We understand, most of us have had a time where the mind was willing to keep going but the body was just... not having it. It's frustrating but listening to the body those times is Not a failure on your part, that's you doing the smart thing and being a good athlete. Instead of trying to force yourself to keep going, consider trying to find ways to be at peace with your needs for rest and relaxation. Either way I wish you the best and hope you have as many good breaks as you need to stay healthy!
Take your time! Better it gets done well and healthily than not! If Einstein locked in at the patent office all day, there'd likely be no relativity today
Rest is so important!! Take all the time you need, we want a happy and well rested Thunda over all else! We are all happy to wait, there’s no rush :)
Good luck. Please, take all the time you need.
Rest is important! take care <333
Good luck and I hope you can get some rest in there with all the stressful shit
It’s all good bro. Just Chill
I'm hear for a long time and a good time. Have a chill time rn and I'll be excited when your back
Good luck, and take all the time you need! Your health matters most, always.
Take whatever time you need! Taking care of yourself is more important than anything else!
Don't be like Fulgy and keep trying to push past your body and mind telling you to slow down. Take the break you need. I'm always in awe of how you and other extremely talented writers manage to continuously put out amazing chapters on such a regular schedule. I would never be able to get over my anxieties and say "this is it, this is definitely how i want the story to go" and release it to the wilds of the Internet, let alone when life is beating me down.
Better to let the fire die down a bit for now and collect some fuel than to throw yourself into the fire as fuel just so you can keep it as bright as possible for a little longer. Take breaks, we all fall short of our goals from time to time, and when you’re ready I know you’ll have something excellent to present as always. Maximum output is not sustainable so don’t push yourself to it. So long as the fire doesn’t die out all together I can keep warm in a blanket for a time while you get it going again.
Take care of yourself and take whatever breaks the people whos opinions you value and care for you think you need (since I suspect that's more than what you think you "should" need). Try to remember that your success or failure do not determine if you are a good person. You're worth the wait.
Needing time off isn't a failure. Take all the time you need.
Take as much time as you need. :) I'll stick around no matter how long the break. 👍
take all the time you need <3
Take all the time you need. Your wellbeing should always be your #1 priority.
So much luck, take care of yourself. You shouldn't let an employer work you to the bone, and that goes the same even when you are your employer. You need breaks, you need balance, you need everything that goes into living a healthy life. Your work is work and you're amazing at it, having breaks doesn't change that, it's part of it <3
My brain always first "fixes" the title to "schedule shift" before I remember that no, this is Thunda, not my project manager. Good luck with your troubles! Take a break if you need it. Or... take one even if *you* don't feel like it's necessary, but it would help you much. As many of have already stated, we'll keep waiting (mostly) patiently. :)
Good luck
Well if it makes you feel any better half the people I'm subbed to like mechanimus are also taking a break currently so this should probably be normal and expected, especially in this format of writing. Brandon Sanderson isn't normal he has a writing condition!
I'd rather my authors be nice and healthy and happy, so do whatever you need to do. The only time I'd ever complain is if you disappeared for months without warning.
I would happily stay a patron even if it was months before you posted something else. Your other works have meant so much to me.
If we’re looking at it from the monetary side of things, your patreon offer is still one of the most cost effective and beneficial ones there is with how many chapters ahead on multiple stories it is. So even taking a month long break would have it still be perfectly worth every cent. We don’t care about the money side of it though because we’re an empathetic human being. Please take all the time you need. You’re wonderful and deserve breaks.
Take all the time you need. I know I for one enjoy your work for its stellar quality, not its quantity. I’d rather see the latter sacrificed for the former when it comes down to it.
Wishing you the best of luck. Take the time you need.
It takes all I have to write even 7000 words of fiction in a month, so by my standards you're doing great lmao. Take care of yourself, I'd rather never read a word of your writing again if it meant I knew you'd be living a happy and healthy life. EDIT: To clarify, I still *very much* want to be able to read your writing, just don't want you destroying yourself over it.
Good luck! You are an inspiration and deserve to rest. It Boggles my mind how you can write so much every week while I struggle to find the will to finish college essays.
Good luck.
Take all the time you need to rest. We’ll be here when you get back.
The world really sucks rn, and dealing with that on top of personal stuff is so hard I hope you get all the rest you need! <3
Please get as much rest as you can. I would rather wait a few week or months, then have you burnout.
Take the time you need. However that may be. I know it hurts sometimes, but you're more important than your work.
Hope things improve for you Thunda, see you on the other side <3