We were lucky to catch up with Eli Rainwater recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Eli, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
It’s extremely hard. Being a writer means I also have to work a regular job to keep money coming in, I need to meet a writing deadline, I freelance, and I have to do my own marketing and administration. It’s not easy. I found that changing my environment (writing in new places like a coffee shop or park), keeping a clean and organized home, and rewarding myself for completing tasks help.
I also have to make time to feed my soul, as I call it. That means going to a museum, seeing a performance, going on a drive in the country, or whatever else it is that I need to do to make myself feel rejuvenated but is outside my day to day. Feeding your soul can be done in your own house too. I will make a cup of tea and watch the birds or sit in the sun with a cat. The important thing is to stop and reset.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a writer and game master. When I started GM’ing D&D campaigns, I noticed an uptick in my writing style and creativity. Having to improvise on the fly really boosted my story telling! I love writing and gaming, and you’ll often find me at conventions either selling books, running gaming tables, or both.
My fourth book will be out in early 2026, and the first book in the next series will be released in late spring. I’m also writing D&D one shots to go along with the books. You can get a chapter by chapter release of my horror novel and short stories for each of the books in The Witch’s Bar Chronicles series on my Patreon too.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Learn how to organize your time, don’t give up, and learn how to keep books and understand profit and loss. Seriously, being able to track your spending against your profit can really help you understand what works, what doesn’t, and where you can improve your marketing and targeting strategies.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
My best friend and inspiration, Brenda. She has constantly boosted my confidence, helped me figure out marketing and placement strategies, and given me the help I need to keep going. I very literally would not be able to do this without her.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elirainwater.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elirainwaterbooks/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/elirainwaterbooks
