As a fan creator, you are your own “boss” and therefore you decide on your own workload. However, if you are enthusiastic about the fandom or if you’re one of a small set of creators or if you’re trying to “keep up” with other writers, you might take on more work than you can reasonably handle.
A lot of fan creators feel a strong sense of responsibility attached to their posting schedule, for example, or feel guilt associated with not writing on a particular day. Self-imposed deadlines can become hard and fast rules rather than personal goals, and there is stress and anxiety related to not meeting those deadlines. Missing a posting date or taking too long of a break from uploading content can feel like a risk, like your audience will be disappointed and might even disappear.
Workload becomes a problem when you feel overwhelmed by what you need to do. This might be because you have accepted prompts from others, because you’ve started several works in progress but not completed them yet, or because you’ve signed up to participate in fandom events.
If you find yourself overloaded and stressed out by your to do list, it’s time to prioritize and deselect.
What fics are you most interested in writing? Put those at the top of your list. What are you not at all interested in doing? Remove those from the list. If that means that you won’t fill a prompt, let the requester know that you won’t be able to write it for them. Generally speaking, people are understanding. Telling them also means that they are free to give that prompt to another author.
Fandom event organizers would also rather you let them know early that you’ll be pulling out. The more time you can give them to find a replacement for you, the better. Most organizers have “back up” writers available who will take on unclaimed prompts for people who are unable to complete the challenge or event.
Be open and honest with yourself and with others about what you can really do. It will be better for everyone involved. A sustainable workload is necessary for you to be able to continue creating long-term.
Because of the amount of time and energy being devoted to fic and the exhaustion that results from overwork, authors who are experience burnout are more likely to need more rewards from the community in order to feel like their effort is worthwhile. If the reward they are receiving feels too small for too long, these authors might complain about a lack of comments or kudos, insist on more interaction from their communities, or maybe even stop writing altogether.
Unfortunately, no amount of reward will help them restore their depleted energy.
It’s important to note that you can feel burnt out, even when you’re doing something you love. Because it’s something you love doing, you are more likely to push yourself to do it even when you’re tired or otherwise need to rest. This is even more true when fic writing is something you’ve done in the past to help you relax from other life stresses.
If you are feeling stressed out or overwhelmed or like you have too much on your plate take a step back. Give yourself some time off. Remember that writing is your hobby and ultimately the only person you are responsible to is yourself.
Rest, recharge, and let go of the things that aren’t working right now. Take care of yourself first and you’ll be better able to take care of others later.
