Meet Charlene Perry

We were lucky to catch up with Charlene Perry recently and have shared our conversation below.

Charlene, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.

Burnout isn’t failure; it’s feedback. Sometimes, it’s your mind and body reminding you that you’re doing too much, you’re stretched too thin, and you need more time for play.

I used to think burnout meant you’d gone too hard for too long, or that you secretly hated your job. But mine came quietly, as day after day I found perfectly logical reasons not to open my work in progress. I still wanted to write, but other work was more urgent. The kids needed more of my attention. The house needed deep cleaning. Everything else suddenly mattered more.

Evenings would come, and I’d thing about writing, but there was always something more urgent, so the writing still didn’t happen. Week after week, month after month, reasons I decided were out of my control kept me away from writing.

It’s easy to spot burnout when someone crashes. I wasn’t there. I was loving my work and my family’s rhythm. But then I learned about “creative burnout” and everything clicked into place. So instead of making excuses, I took writing off the table altogether: no more writing for the rest of the year. Just reading, watching, and gaming.

Suddenly, I was playing again. I was enjoying my free time without guilt, because when my work was done for the day, the pressure to write wasn’t there. It felt great. Over time, the urge to write started to niggle at the back of my brain. I resisted, stuck to my plan, and didn’t allow myself to open my project even once.

When the date arrived to bring writing back, I was so ready for it. And I was ready for it to stay in its lane: a morning writing block, nothing more. No more word count tracking or pre-order deadlines, just a block of time to make whatever progress I could.

I hadn’t failed. The feedback my brain was giving me was that if everything is my top priority, then nothing is. So I reprioritized, refilled my creative well, and I couldn’t be happier.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I work as an author support consultant, helping authors and those that support them to build sustainable creative careers without burning out in the process. It’s deeply rewarding work because I know firsthand how easy it is to lose yourself in the constant push to create and produce.

Outside of consulting, I’m also a romance author. I’m endlessly fascinated by the firsts in relationships; first attraction, first touches, first kisses… all of it. I like to explore those firsts in paranormal settings, but I love contemporary just as much.

I’m currently working on wrapping up a paranormal series, and I’ve been planning a new contemporary story that I’m really excited about fleshing out. My writing is more of a hobby these days, as most of my time is spent working with other authors through the consulting side of my business.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, the qualities that shaped my journey most were curiosity and a deep belief in lifelong learning. I’ve always believed that anything is possible if you care about it enough to do the work.

My advice for anyone early in their journey is simple: stay curious. Keep learning, but learn wisely. There’s no shortage of advice out there — courses, gurus, formulas for success — and many of them have value. But remember that every teacher is speaking from their own personality and priorities. Their version of “making it” might not fit the kind of life or creative joy you want. And that’s okay.

For a while, I felt pressure to chase bestseller lists and follow certain industry paths, but it never made me happy. What does make me happy is writing what I love to read and helping other authors do the same. Success looks different for everyone — the key is knowing what yours feels like, not just what it looks like from the outside.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

Without a doubt, Bryan and the team at Best Page Forward have been the most influential in helping me grow as both an author and a professional in the publishing world. Finding his author challenge was one of my first real steps into learning how to market my own books, and it opened my eyes to what was possible.

Working with him since then has taught me so much — not just about marketing and publishing, but about the author community. Bryan’s the kind of person who’s genuinely devoted to his work and to helping authors succeed on their own terms. Being part of that environment, watching how he builds and supports the author ecosystem, has been an education all its own. It’s been an honor to have a seat at that table.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.CharlenePerry.ca
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharlenePerryMe

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