Ask the Coach: How Do I Set Goals While Recovering From Burnout? – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to a question from a reader about setting goals for the new year while also recovering from burnout. 

Hi Jenna, it’s the start of the year, and I know it’s past time to sort out my writing goals for 2024, but I’m (still) recovering from burnout and I worry about pushing myself too far. I’m writing on spec, so I don’t have deadlines I have to meet, just a sense that I need to get work out into the world ASAP. What suggestions do you have for making the most of writing this year, while also continuing to recover. Thank you! ~ One Burned Out Writer

It’s no small task, and as someone who’s been in a similar situation, I know it takes as long as it takes. Many writers, creatives, and entrepreneurs around me seem to be experiencing similar circumstances. I’m seeing quite a few thought-leaders advising against pushing hard on the goal-setting front this year.

Whether your burnout is personal, writing-related, or because of the happenings of the broader world, taking the time you need to recover is critical to your ability to generate your best work. So do give the gift of recovery to yourself.

In my response, I discuss:

  • trusting yourself and your intuition with goal setting
  • focusing on what would feel good to you over deadlines and SMART goals
  • focusing on the practices, habits, or rituals you’d like to have in place around your writing
  • guiding your writing while recuperating by intuition rather than force
  • allowing time for “sideways drift”

Thankfully, writing is not incompatible with recuperation. I would argue that writing is a critical part of how we heal and find ourselves again, if we have the patience and willingness to stay with it. 

 

Want the full scoop? Get all the details in the full article on Script Mag:
 
 
 
If you’ve got writing questions, please send them my way!
I’d love to answer them for you in my column.
 

Ask the Coach: On Pacing & Structure with Screenwriter Jeff Howard – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing two similar but separate questions from readers about building to a climax and keeping a story moving with help from guest expert Jeff Howard. Question 1: How do I build tension toward a climax using structure and pacing? Question 2: How do I combine actions with […]

Ask the Coach: On Character Development & Arc with Screenwriter Jeff Howard – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing — with help from Screenwriter Jeff Howard (‘Midnight Mass,’  ‘Haunting of Hill House,’  ‘Oculus,’  ‘Ouija: Origin of Evil,’  ‘Gerald’s Game’) — two similar but separate questions from readers about character arc and character development: Question 1: How to develop a character arc that is consistent with […]

Image of an open laptop with script text on the screen. A pair of hands hover over the keyboard.

Ask the Coach: Odds & Ends: Getting Started with Screenwriting & More – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing a collection of shorter questions from writers wondering about getting started with screenwriting, writing and learning screenwriting in another country, getting an MFA, and finding other screenwriters. My responses include: Steps to begin exploring and learning screenwriting Tips for finding writing mentors How to evaluate whether […]

Ask the Coach: 6 Antidotes for Self-Doubt in Writing – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing a set of questions from a reader about managing self-doubt in writing. “[My] fear of failure has several prongs for me: 1. What if no one likes my writing? I’m trying to make it as truthful as it is filled with emotion and colorful descriptions, but […]

Ask the Coach: 7 Tips for Getting Back to Writing After Summer – On Script Mag

With the start of school and fall on the horizon, there’s this energy many of us naturally connect to that feels motivating and inspiring to start new things, take action, get organized, and make things happen. Lean into this energy and let it buoy you toward the momentum and progress you’re wanting. In this month’s […]

Dig Deep, Write Brave – I’m Speaking at The Writing Brave Summit

I’m delighted to share that I’ll be a speaker at The Writing Brave Summit * hosted by Brooke Adams Law (author of Catchlight and founder of Writing Brave, a book coaching and publishing company).  This virtual event focused on helping you channel the book that’s inside you runs from June 13th to 16th and is free to attend live. Join the […]

Ask the Coach: On Finding a Manager & Meeting Producers (After the Strike) – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing two questions regarding finding representation and connecting with producers (and some notes about navigating these appropriately during the Writer’s Guild strike). Here are some of the action steps I discuss in my response: Do the research to find the companies and individuals that are a good […]

Ask the Coach: Finding the Line with Scene Descriptions – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to two questions about writing scene descriptions, including seeing it as an opportunity for your voice to shine, and where to draw the line with what to include and what to leave out. Here are the main points I discuss in my response: Scene descriptions can be a […]

Ask the Coach: Deciding Between Writing Ideas + How to Edit & Get Feedback – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to two questions about choosing projects and getting feedback. “I have four different topics that intrigue me. All could be short non-fiction books. How do I commit to one? It seems like each day a different one appeals more. I start on one, then wonder if another […]