How can authors overcome burnout and discouragement? And how can writing be restful and encouraging? I asked Karen Ball and Erin Taylor Young. Karen is a bestselling author, professional editor, and speaker. Erin Taylor Young is an award-winning author, writer, teacher, and speaker. They host the excellent podcast Write from the Deep, which encourages, refreshes, and equips Christian writers.

Erin and Karen had me on their podcast to discuss how to handle haters and how I handled thousands of people on the internet hating me before outrage culture was normal.

Why is writing so hard emotionally?

Thomas: All you do is sit down at your computer and type, so why is it so emotionally difficult?

Karen: There’s an old saying that goes, “Writing an excellent book requires sitting down, slitting a wrist, and letting it bleed onto the keyboard.” It’s a vivid metaphor for why writing can be so emotionally demanding and why many authors burnout. You can’t write from a distance. Whether you’re crafting fiction or nonfiction, you must be fully immersed in what you’re creating. You need to connect deeply with the story and the characters because if your writing doesn’t move you emotionally, it won’t resonate with your readers either.

This emotional vulnerability is essential for impactful writing, but it comes at a cost. When you put your soul into your work and share it with the world, you expose yourself to judgment. Some readers will reject it. Some will criticize what you’ve poured your heart into. Facing rejection and navigating the emotional fallout can be incredibly challenging. It’s hard to reconcile others’ opinions with the deeply personal nature of what you’ve created.

It might be similar to someone telling you and your wife that your brand new beloved baby you created is ugly. That would be emotionally hard.

Thomas: There’s a great Robert Frost quote: “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” When I was writing my book Courtship and Crisis, I felt like I’d already walked the emotionally difficult journey when I wrote the blog posts that led up to the book. But at one point, I was weeping as I was writing because I was digging through some emotionally painful things. Part of that chapter now exists as a blog post, and it is currently the most popular post on my blog. I was writing about confidence, why men feel undateable, and why women feel unwanted. Of all my posts, one resonates with people the most. But to write something so resonant, I had to be willing to go to that painful place.

How can we write about our pain in a way that resonates?

Thomas: How can the writer go to the painful place in his life or her life and find those nuggets that will resonate with their readers?

Karen: It starts with being willing to be vulnerable. When I wrote my novel The Breaking Point, which was based on what my husband Don and I had gone through in 20 years of marriage counseling and a very difficult relationship, I wanted to reserve some of our feelings so that we weren’t so exposed. I didn’t want everyone to see our weaknesses and anger. But I realized that if I held back, I was cheating the reader because I wasn’t being honest about what was happening.

Writers have to be willing to be as vulnerable as they’ve ever been anywhere. They have to be willing to show the truth of how deeply they were hurt. Their characters have to be honest about the emotions they’re experiencing. People have complained about Christian fiction and said, “The good people are all good, and the bad guys are just these cartoonish characters.” You won’t get those complaints if you put authentic emotion, pain, and joy on the page. If there’s something you’re hesitant to write, it probably needs to be written. If you’re thinking, “I don’t want to write that. I don’t want to go there,” you probably need to go there.

Thomas: There’s a great book called The War of Art, which talks about this concept of The Resistance. The resistance inside us keeps us from being creative, but it can also be a guiding light. The scariest and most difficult writing is often where your best work is found. You’ll notice that truly successful artists, including musicians or actors, often avoid returning to the same role or project. Even though it might be easier for them, it no longer challenges them. They’re not fighting resistance, improving, or growing anymore.

The best artists have learned to embrace resistance in their work. They seek out difficult, intimidating challenges because they know that’s where growth happens. What often sets the truly successful apart from the rest is their willingness to tackle the hardest, scariest task first rather than putting it off until last.

Karen: Authors have to be willing to stop if they’re afraid of something and explore what it is about writing that particular scene or character that frightens them. Often, they’re afraid to write it because it will make themselves or someone else look bad. But you cannot let fear keep you from writing what God is moving you to write. Fear will steal the authenticity and power of your writing. That said, wisdom comes into play and will help you determine whether it’s the right time to write a particularly difficult piece. If God is telling you to hold off, then obey. But when fear is holding you back, you need to stop, submit that to God, and explore whether or not that’s what you should be writing.

Thomas: Courage is essential. When I was an agent, the three qualities I looked for in an author were courage, hustle, and resonance. Courage, in particular, is critical, but it’s often misunderstood. It’s not just about addressing big, obvious issues or “speaking truth to power.”

Many assume I meant looking for authors who tackle topics like human trafficking. But that doesn’t necessarily require courage; no one is on the other side of that debate arguing it’s good. Real courage involves taking risks that might challenge beloved ideas, figures, or conventions.

More fundamentally, courage means writing in a way that truly connects with readers by addressing the pain points in their lives, drawn from the pain points in your own. There’s a saying: “When you throw a stone into a pack of dogs, the one who yelps is the one that got hit.” As writers, we’re often afraid to throw the stone where it might hit. Instead, we aim safely over their heads so that no one yelps. Then, when our book comes out, and no one responds, we wonder why.

You have to be willing to strike a nerve. A dentist knows they’ve found a nerve when the patient feels pain. The same principle applies to writing: no pain, no nerve, no impact. Courage is being willing to take that risk and make readers feel something real.

Why do authors burn out?

Karen: We forget that creative energy is still energy, and it’s limited. We know time is limited because we can see hours on the clock. But we forget that our creativity is energy that needs to be managed, stewarded, and used wisely. So often, we overlook the importance of rest. We fail to take time for the Sabbath and nurture our souls. We’re constantly pouring ourselves out without stopping to refill. But you can’t keep going endlessly without a break. You need to intentionally schedule time to recharge, to rest, and to restore your energy. Downtime isn’t optional.

Erin: I think writers often approach the writing journey with the wrong focus, goals, or expectations. They become fixated on being published rather than recognizing that, as Christian writers, their primary task is obedience to the calling God has given them. Obedience means committing to the hard work and vulnerability that writing requires.

When publication doesn’t happen as they hoped, many writers feel discouraged and believe their efforts were wasted. But they fail to see that obedience is never wasted. God works through our obedience to impact lives in ways we could never imagine, even if the results don’t look like we expected.

Thomas: The carpenter doesn’t just build the house—the house builds the carpenter. Each house built makes the carpenter better and more skilled for the next project. Even if the house doesn’t sell, the carpenter has grown in ability, ready to tackle the next build.

Writing works similarly but with one major difference: to succeed as a writer, you often have to be among the very best to get published, and even then, being published doesn’t guarantee being read. Writing operates in a winner-takes-all market, much more like being a professional athlete than a plumber.

A mediocre plumber can still find steady work because everyone needs their pipes fixed, even those with limited means. Writing, however, doesn’t have the same universal demand. Success isn’t guaranteed, which makes the process of growth and persistence even more crucial.

Few people think about their mental energy as a resource to be stewarded. I often waste my most creative, energetic hours at the beginning of the day on email correspondence, which I can do even when I’m mentally exhausted. I know that if I committed to working on a project every day before checking my email, I would accomplish so much more. But the pull of urgency and the uncertainty of what might be in my inbox often distracts me. I think, “I’ll just check it quickly to make sure there aren’t any urgent messages,” and before I know it, my focus is gone.

Karen: To understand why authors get burned out, we need to acknowledge the outside influences that drain us—things completely beyond our control. We often operate under the illusion of control, thinking, “I can do this. I can handle that.” But then life happens. Grief strikes when someone close to us dies. Health issues persist, wearing us down day after day. Emotional fatigue sets in from navigating difficult relationships that feel like a constant battle. And yet, we’re still expected to summon creative energy.

To endure, we must learn to face these challenges while grounding ourselves in God, seeking his guidance, leaning on his word, and allowing his truth to counteract the stress and negativity. On top of that, there are psychological battles. We deal with those nagging voices in the back of our minds whispering, “Look at all the books on the shelves. Why would anyone need yours?”

Without a proper focus, these influences can overwhelm us, leading to burnout. Keeping our eyes on God and his purpose for our work is essential to overcoming these and staying creatively and emotionally resilient. So many things can work against us and burn us out if we don’t keep our focus where it needs to be.

Thomas: You control what you can control, but you also manage what you can’t control.

Many people don’t realize that during the early part of his career, C.S. Lewis lived with and cared for an ailing elderly woman. This unusual arrangement came about because, during World War I, Lewis made a pact with his best friend: if one of them died, the survivor would take care of the other’s parents.

As fate would have it, Lewis’s friend died in the war, leaving Lewis to honor the agreement. This meant he took in and cared for his friend’s mother, who was an invalid. She frequently interrupted him, asking for assistance with various needs. Picture this: Lewis, writing with a quill pen, would be deep in thought, only to hear, “Clive, I need this or that.” He would set the pen down mid-sentence, attend to her, and then return to his work.

Despite these constant interruptions, Lewis managed to produce some of his early masterpieces under challenging circumstances.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking, “If only I could create the perfect, distraction-free cabin in the woods, then I’d finally be able to write so much.” The reality is, even if you escape to a cabin in the woods, you’ll take with you all the emotional baggage you had at home.

Karen: There’s a hilarious episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show where he decides to trade his job as a TV comedy writer to focus on writing the great American novel. He retreats to a cabin in the woods, but instead of writing, he gets caught up in every possible distraction. At one point, he becomes convinced the table his typewriter is on isn’t balanced. So, he starts shaving down the legs to fix it. By the time he’s done, the table is so short he’s sitting in a child’s chair trying to type. Of course, he never writes the book because he spends all his time on everything but writing.

How do we find the discipline to put emotional distractions aside and write more?

Thomas: How do we put those emotional distractions aside and become like Brandon Sanderson, who is so disciplined that he writes 50,000 words every month? How do we find that place emotionally?

Karen: I don’t think we will find that place. Writing 50,000 words in a month is atypical.

Sometimes, powering through is the worst thing you can do—just like when you’re sick. If you keep pushing, your body will eventually force you to stop. The same applies to burnout. Sometimes, you need to step away from the chaos, the demands, and the constant pressure. You need time to rest, to be silent, and to refresh your mind and spirit before returning to your writing.

When you do go back, focus on manageable goals. Write the number of words that feels sustainable for you each day rather than trying to complete an entire novel in one go. Find the pace that allows you to maintain your creative energy without burning yourself out. It’s about working consistently, not draining yourself completely.

Erin: It’s important to find your creative pace. Find the times when you’re most efficient, and your creativity flows best, then align your writing schedule with that. Instead of forcing yourself to write at the wrong time or in the wrong environment, focus on working during your peak creative hours. When you do, you’ll often accomplish twice as much in the same amount of time.

This process is about understanding yourself, discovering how you work best, and respecting that rhythm. It also means regularly refilling your creative well. You can’t effectively write if you’re running on empty. You can’t create from a place of deficit.

What are some practical ways to write from a place of rest?

Thomas: How can we refill ourselves and write from that place of rest?

Karen: It depends on the individual. I like going outside and playing with my dogs or taking them for a hike in the mountains of Oregon. I also love visiting the Oregon coast for a weekend. Nature refreshes me. Being silent before God and looking at the beauty of what he’s created refreshes me. I am refreshed by immersing myself in God’s word and reading scripture out loud. It’s as if I’m reading it to myself and to my heart.

You have to figure out what feeds you emotionally.

Erin: I set up my workspace so I can see the trees outside my window. It helps me feel connected to God’s creation while I write, and that connection really works for me. It’s all about figuring out what works best for you.

For me, having a Sabbath every week is non-negotiable. It’s a dedicated day to meditate on God, to reflect on Him as my Creator and Provider, and to acknowledge that He supplies everything I need. You’d be amazed at how deeply your creative well can be filled when you allow God to pour into you. It happens when you intentionally take the time to be still and spend time with Him.

In today’s rushed and chaotic world, silence has almost become a thing of the past. But that quiet time during my Sabbath is what keeps my well full and my spirit refreshed.

Karen: Another element of managing your creative energy is determining what steals your emotional energy. What is it that you’re involved in that takes away from the emotional energy you need to do what God has given you? Are you over-involved? Are you over-committed? Just because you can do something doesn’t mean God’s calling you to be involved.

Reevaluate the things you can control and recognize what you can’t control.

When my dad was diagnosed with cancer, we spent a year caring for him while he lived with us. We lost him a year later and then had to deal with that grief. I couldn’t do anything that required emotional energy for about two years because of that.

Thomas: One of the biggest drains on my energy is staying politically aware of things I can’t control. It’s easy to believe that being informed about political events is meaningful, but the truth is, my awareness alone has no impact on what’s happening, especially when there’s no election coming up. In those times, knowing what’s going on doesn’t change a thing.

I’ve realized I can waste so much energy on things I can’t control, and it often leaves me feeling depressed. There’s always something to be upset about, and people are expending frenetic energy on issues they have no power to change. It’s a cycle that’s exhausting and unproductive. Our founding fathers set up a system where we vote for other people, and they stress about those things. You vote for people of good character, and they do their job so you can do yours. It’s called a republic. You have representatives.

Karen: The danger is that something is changed: You’re changed. I have no desire to watch pundits being so discourteous and vitriolic, but when I do watch, I am affected by it. I get depressed. I start feeling like everybody in this country is out of their minds. I start believing that nobody knows how to have reasonable discourse anymore. Eventually, I can start to feel hopeless.

How would you encourage authors to persist without being discouraged?

Thomas: Every author faces discouragement. It’s one of these universal risks of being an author. How would you encourage authors to persist in this writing journey?

Erin: Authors have ideas and dreams that we want to happen, and when those things don’t happen, we get discouraged. The best thing we can do is make sure our wants align with what God wants. When God is in charge of our expectations and wants, we can set our hope on his desires instead of ours, and that changes everything.

Karen: You also have to remain teachable. No writer is going to churn out a perfect book. There will always be things you could improve, and for writers, this can be a tough reality. Many writers dream of sharing their stories and hearing nothing but praise. But the hardest part for many is receiving revision letters from editors or critiques from a group, where someone says, “This didn’t connect with me,” or “That part didn’t quite work.”

Hearing this feedback can trigger self-doubt, making writers feel like they’re not good enough. It’s easy to start thinking, “Why do I even try? I’m never going to get past this.” But you will get past it if you adjust your expectations.

Instead of seeing critiques as personal failures, view them as opportunities for growth. Evaluate each piece of feedback. If it’s valid, use it to improve. Remember, you’re always learning. Even the best-selling authors have places to improve. As a writer, you never stop growing and improving your craft. Your willingness to keep learning is what will make you stronger.

Thomas: The first time I spoke at Mount Hermon, I was presenting on a technical topic, on the front row was an industry-renowned bestselling author who was taking notes. I thought, “What are you doing in my class?” She was hungry for the latest technical know-how, and that’s what I was teaching. That was memorable for me. It wasn’t a well-attended class, but it showed me that the top authors are often the ones who have the deepest desire to learn.

What does it mean for each of you “to write from the deep?”

Erin: For me, writing from the deep means to wrestle with God in the deep, difficult places. It means wrestling with hard questions that have no easy answers and writing from a deep understanding of who God is.

Even when we’re not experiencing trauma and crisis, we still need to write from that deep understanding of God. His wisdom is our source of wisdom. He’s the Ancient of Days. He knows everything. So, for me, writing from the deep is about that connection in those deep, difficult, hard places. It’s about not being satisfied with superficial answers but wrestling until you get wisdom from God.

Karen: Here in Oregon, we have the Oregon Caves, and when you go on a guided tour, there’s a moment where they turn off all the lights, and you’re plunged into complete darkness. Until you’ve experienced that, you can’t truly understand how dark “dark” can be. I remember putting my hand not just in front of my face but up against my eyes, and still, there was no light whatsoever. It’s a level of darkness that’s almost impossible to imagine until you’re in it.

Writing from the deep is like being in that cave with the lights turned off. In that darkness, I have to focus completely on God, listening for his voice and his direction. I might wish for clear instructions, like “Take ten steps forward, then turn left and go another ten steps.” But he doesn’t work that way. Instead, it’s about being attuned to his guidance that says, “Take one step forward. Now stop,” and then waiting patiently for the next direction.

Those deep, dark places require immense trust. You do what you know to do, but you also wait and trust him for what’s next. For me, “writing from the deep” means listening closely, moving when he says to move, and resting when he says to rest. It’s about being so connected and focused on him that there’s no room for fear or anxiety. There’s only room for trust, obedience, and his presence.

Sponsor

Prepare Your Heart to Be a Writer

Give Yourself a God-Based Anchor for Whatever Comes Your Way

Karen: This course lays the foundation for embarking on a writing career. Before diving into the business side of writing, it’s essential to prepare your heart for the task God has given you. You need to understand why He has called you to this work and be aware of the potential pitfalls that can challenge your heart along the way.

An author’s most important tool is their heart. Ensuring your heart is grounded in your knowledge and understanding of God is crucial for navigating the challenges of the writing journey. This path can be thrilling, fulfilling, and exciting, but it can also be devastating and discouraging.

To endure, you need a deep, unshakable foundation in God that nothing can break or shatter. With that foundation, you can move forward confidently, trusting God to guide you through each step of the journey.

Links:

• Write from the Deep Podcast
• Write from the Deep Patreon
• Thomas’ Episode on Write from the Deep About How to Handle Haters
• Thomas’ blog post the Confidence Crisis: Why Women Feel Unwanted and Men Feel Undateable
• Episode 002: How to Find Your Courage as an Author