Tiger Burnout

Wrong Burnout - September 25, 2026

Dear Reader,

I've been writing stories in the dream for ten years now. I've gotten better at the art of storytelling, even if I will never be a Poe, a Hemingway, or Angelou. What hasn't happened during that time? A full-time writing career. The day job has remained constant and will probably remain so until I retire.

I read essays, posts, and articles about creative burnout all the time. Self care, pacing and scheduling, and focusing on what brings joy are always topics. Usually the post is written from the perspective of those lucky enough to be a full-time creative.

Articles written from the perspective of the artisan who retains the day job usually focus on grinding it out until they achieve whatever their definition of success might be. What I never see are posts about how the day job might cause burnout in the creative sphere.

I'm pretty sure that this is where I have landed after a decade. I love writing in the dream, telling my fantasy stories. But the day job is proper, and it's intense. I've known it's not sustainable for many years, but my longtime followers will know about the golden handcuffs of student loans and the need for the higher salary to save toward retirement now that my children are grown.

I've tried to tell myself that I'm in the creative world for the long haul, and that I've always known that the chances it could save me from the nine-to-five were infinitesimally small. I've acknowledged that the dream of being a full-time creative was not why I started writing and may simply be a borrowed hope. No matter what happens, if I am able, I will always write.

But none of that changes how exhausted I feel at the end of a long week. It doesn't change how little energy I have to give to the thing I love after my energy has disappeared into the black hole of proper work.

I'm burned out, and it's the wrong burnout. It's not from writing and storytelling, but from the stress of my day job. And yet it's the storytelling which always suffers.

The money matters even if I wish it didn't. That doesn't leave much wiggle room for the passion of the dream. I despise the fact that I must always put what I would prefer to do on hold to accomplish a thing which supplies only financial sustenance. I see no option.

I will carry on as best as I can, but unlike my characters, I'm not immortal. There is no magic wand for this old writing tiger. Every morning I take up a yoke that I wish to leave behind forever and pray that I will have enough energy to step into the dream at the end of the day. I hope my readers will allow me the grace I need to continue to share the stories whenever I can.

It's not how one should market a book. For me, it remains the only realistic option available. The burnout may be the wrong kind, and it may have been there since before I began writing the Draoithe Saga, but it's real and it continues to cause problems.

5 ways to Help an Author poster

Thank you for stepping into the dream once more. Sorry so short, but rest assured it was because I was super busy expanding the dream. I'm neck-deep in formatting Blood Dark. I'd love to hear from you. Leave your comments, and I promise to respond as soon as I can. If you found this post worthy, feel free to share it. I hope you have a lovely weekend and will discover a grand story. Please remember when you read, be kind and leave your reviews. Until my next post, welcome to the dream...

Be Careful!

Happy Reading,

Bye-Bye,

Ophelia Kee

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