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You started writing your story because you had something you wanted to tell, characters who you wanted to bring to life, or a specific message you wanted to share. But now, maybe your book feels more like a burden than anything else. It doesn't give you the same joy or energy that you once had.

Sometimes the process of writing a book becomes extremely overwhelming because it's such an intense and all-consuming process, so it's important for you to be able to recognize when your relationship with your book is possibly becoming toxic.

Today, I want to talk about some signs that indicate you should take a writing break from your book so that you can instead prioritize your well-being, regain your creative spark and energy, and ultimately foster a healthier and more productive writing habit.

1. You’re Feeling Burnt Out

The first sign that you need a writing break is if you’re feeling burnt out. If the writing process is starting to feel like an unbearable burden and something that you dread, then it may be a sign you need to take a step back.

While the process of writing a book, revising it, and publishing it is certainly intense and challenging at times, it ultimately should be energizing and feel like something exciting to you, something that brings you joy and fulfillment. But too often, we lose those positive associations with writing our book because the whole process just gets us down.

Pushing yourself beyond your limits and forcing yourself to work on your book when it just isn't working and it isn't going anywhere can ultimately be counterproductive, and in the long term, it could negatively impact your creativity and motivation. Burnout can happen if you are someone who sets specific writing deadlines, like you need to have a certain number of words done per writing session, because that can end up stressing you out when you feel like you're not achieving your goals. Removing those stipulations in addition to taking a writing break can actually help relieve your burnout.

Take a hard look at yourself and recognize any signs of burnout, like fatigue or lack of focus or that sense of dread when you sit down to write. If you're feeling any of that, I recommend taking a step back to recharge.

2. You’ve Lost Sight of Your “Why”

The next sign that you have a toxic relationship with your book is if you've lost sight of your why. Why did you write this book to begin with? Think about that right now. Is it a personal story that means a lot to you? Or perhaps one of your characters reflects a struggle that one of your loved ones went through. If you're losing a connection to that initial “why” factor that brought you to the page to begin with, it might be time to consider taking a break from writing this book.

Writing a book requires so much energy and commitment on your part. You need to be continually oriented to that “why”; that is going to keep you going. That's the fuel that's going to energize you. So, if your enthusiasm for the project has dwindled or has disappeared entirely, you're likely going to lose that sense of motivation and energy.

Think about what initially drew you to this project and if it still resonates with you. If it doesn't align with your current goals and interests, then maybe it's time to take a writing break and work on something that does align with your priorities at this moment. Maybe shifting your energy toward a different project that feels more energizing to you right now would be more productive, or possibly reminding yourself of that “why” that brought you to the story in the very beginning could re-energize you and make you want to return to the writing process with a newfound sense of passion.

3. You’re Overwhelmed by Self-Doubt

Constant negative self-talk can poison your relationship with your book. If you constantly find yourself criticizing your own work, feeling unworthy, feeling discouraged about publishing, feeling bad about your abilities as an author, then you need to prioritize addressing these negative thought patterns.

Even though self-doubt is a very common experience for almost every writer, allowing it to totally consume you and erode your mental health is counterproductive. It's only going to spiral into making your writing even more of a burden and possibly make your writing even worse, which then will fuel your self-doubt even more. See how that becomes a never-ending cycle?

If your self-doubt is caused by getting negative feedback on this particular story and not knowing how to address it, then I recommend setting it aside and working on something else that doesn't have that baggage attached to it. Remember that even if that story isn't the best thing you've ever written, that doesn't mean you're a bad writer by any means. Just redirect your energy to a new project if it feels like this one has gone sour. You're only going to improve your craft by writing.

4. You Hate Everything You’ve Written

Another sign that you should take a writing break is if you reach the point where you read back over your work and start to cringe. Suddenly you hate every word you’ve put down on the page and feel embarrassed to have ever written it to begin with. This is a strong sign that your relationship with your book has gone toxic because it's likely that what you've written actually isn't that bad and certainly isn’t embarrassing, but your own negative energy and negative associations with it are coloring your interpretation. You're ultimately just being overly critical of yourself.

To get to the point where you can productively share your work, receive feedback, strengthen your story, and ultimately publish it, you need to feel confident in what you've put down and be proud of it. So, if you find yourself struggling to read your work without feeling embarrassed, I would take a writing break.

It is not going to be productive for you to try to continue to work on your book when you are seeing it in this veiled way, because you're not actually seeing your writing for what it is. It's like when you look into a mirror and you don't see your true reflection; you see a morphed version of it. That's what's happening with your book. Hopefully, taking some time away will allow you to revisit it down the line and see the story for what it truly is and the value that it truly brings.

I hope this helped you realize that it's okay to break up with your book for a period of time, at least if you need to. Taking a break from writing is not giving up on your story; it is an act of self-care that's going to allow you to return to it with revitalized energy.

Thanks so much for reading and happy writing!