Meet Jennifer L. Wright

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jennifer L. Wright a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer L. , 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

I have always known I wanted to be a writer. From the moment I could hold a pencil, it seemed like storytelling was an innate part of who I was. And, because of that, I have been writing stories for as long as I can remember, first in my career as a journalist and now as a published novelist. Often, I’d get asked about writer’s block or burnout, but I never really understood the question. As long as the stories were coming–and they always did–I was going to write.

Until, one day, when I just couldn’t.

No, more than that. I didn’t *want* to.

I had just finished a novel but, unlike what usually happened upon the completion of one story, I had no ideas lined up for the next one. And, even more unusual, I had no desire to find one. Despite having devoted my entire life to words, I suddenly found that I had none left.

I was done writing. Period.

Now, the fact that I’m writing this now proves that wasn’t true. But it took several months of wrangling before I finally realized that I actually didn’t hate writing. I was simply burnt out.

I had been cranking out one book after another for a few years, immediately moving from one manuscript to the next without any breaks in between. Honestly, I barely even celebrated a book upon its release into the world, so busy was I working on the next one. And, although I didn’t realize it at the time, what I viewed as productivity was actually the opposite of that: by becoming a veritable writing machine, I was smothering the spark that creativity needs in order to flourish.

And yet every article I read discussing burnout repeatedly emphasized the healing power of creative activity. How was I to navigate this remedy when I was burnt out *from* my creative job? The answer certainly was not more writing.

Frustrated and desperate, I started exploring other mediums. Painting. Sewing. Music. And, surprisingly, they helped. These areas gave me space to exercise creativity in ways that did not involve words. And sometimes it wasn’t even art–I found running, hiking, and dancing all effective ways to stimulate my mind while also benefitting my body. I started adding a few of these things to my daily/weekly/monthly routine. For example, I run and listen to music every day. I hike and paint at least once a month. Although it sounds counterintuitive, escaping from words for a few hours makes them flow much more smoothly when I return.

I’ve also, with the help of trusted friends and counselors, begun to learn how to take breaks. Although efficiency is still very important to me, I no longer allow myself to begin another manuscript immediately after finishing one (that’s where friends come in–sometimes they literally pull me away!) I also set aside one day during the work week to *not* write, viewing it as a tithe against the idol of productivity I’d created in my life.

In short, I’ve discovered the key to overcoming or avoiding burnout in my life is margin. Margin to breathe, to experiment, to enjoy. Life isn’t all about the product; it’s about the process. And only when you can find joy in the journey can you truly begin to appreciate the destination.

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?

Although I spent several years as a journalist, I discovered my true passion lay in the world of make-believe. Now, I write fiction novels examining the human side of history. Often times, textbooks and documentaries shine light on the who/what/where/why aspect of the past. I’ve discovered, however, that the true impact of these events can only truly be experienced by entering into the hearts and minds of those who lived through them. By creating fictional characters who persevere through some of history’s darkest moments, I (and my readers!) can enter a world both vastly different–and not different at all–from our own, learning and growing from both the mistakes and triumphs of those who came before us.

I’m currently the author of three historical fiction books, ‘If It Rains,’ ‘Come Down Somewhere,’ and ‘The Girl from the Papers,’ all published by Tyndale House Publishers. My fourth book, ‘Last Light Over Galveston,’ is available for preorder wherever you buy books and will be released on August 12, 2025.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

When I was just starting my writing journey, I was told that, in order to become a successful author, you needed to do two things: you needed to read and you needed to write.

It sounds quite obvious, of course. But there is so much more to it than that. Reading as a reader is a completely different skill than reading as an author. Reading as an author means dissecting a book, paying attention to both the effective and ineffective ways a writer weaves a story together. It means paying attention to the way certain words made you feel or not feel, as well as truly diving into what made you connect or not connect with characters. In short, it’s learning to have a critical eye for form and style while also appreciating the hard work that went into a story, whether you liked it or not.

Also obvious seems the idea that, to become a writer, you must write. But, again, there is more to it. To be a writer, you must write even when you don’t feel like it. You must write when you are tired, when the words don’t flow, when your muse has taken a hiatus. You must make space for writing and protect that space as fiercely as any other pursuit. Write, yes. But write like a *writer.*

Lastly, as a bonus, keep a bag of chocolate-covered espresso beans inside your desk drawer. That’s not a piece of advice given to me, but it is something I’ve discovered in my journey. Trust me–it helps.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

When people ask me my favorite book, I often feel pretentious naming ‘The Great Gatsby.’ It sounds cliche, doesn’t it, coming from an author? But, for me, I promise it’s true.

As I mentioned before, I’ve always wanted to become a writer, so it makes sense that books have been a part of my life for, well, my whole life. But it wasn’t until I read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic that I truly felt like a book had called me home. Never had a book painted such a vivid imagery inside my mind as Fitzgerald’s, and never had I gone back to re-read a sentence over and over again purely because of the way it made me feel. ‘The Great Gatsby’ was the book that made me fall in love with language and with literature as an art form. I re-read it every year and, with every book of my own I write, I seek to make my readers feel the way that I felt experiencing Gatsby’s world for the very first time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jenniferlwright.com
• Instagram: @jennwright82
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferWrightLit