Hi, everyone. We're glad you're here. This is the Three Lesbians and a Pen podcast. Get ready to have your world rocked. As we dive into the wild and sometimes wacky world of self publishing. We are three fabulous bestselling authors. I'm your host, Kimberly Todd with my best friends.

K. C. Luck

and Jamey Moody. 

Join us as we discuss the joys of writing, challenges of self publishing, and anything else that tickles our fancy. 

Hey there and welcome to episode 20 of the Three Lesbians and a Pen podcast. I'm Kimberly Todd. I'm here with my fabulous friends, KC Luck and Jamey Moody. Today we're talking about burnout and throwing the towel in, but before we start, what's happening with everyone. KC, I know you have some very exciting news to share.

Uh, yes, I'm coming to you from Reno, Nevada today. I've started my road trip. This is the first day in and yeah, I'm broadcasting from location in the beautiful city of Reno. I'm having a really good time. It's been a really good week.

Nice.

Cool. Well, as you know, I live in a small town in Texas and, KC and Kimberly know this, that there's some new lesbians in town and, uh, I actually met them and we had a game night

What?

them. And yeah, I forgot to tell you, cause it just happened.

And, with several other friends and we had a blast.

Nice.

 So maybe we won't need the dating apps. Isn't that how you're supposed to meet people is through your other friends?

Yeah. But breaking up a couple so you can date them is not part of this game.

Oh, no, I don't want to break them up.

Homewrecker.

No, that's what I told them. I said, y'all have to have friends.

So you go. 

Okay. Okay. 

I told them about the podcast. And I said, these people that are supposedly my friends

Oh,

boy. I'm your best interest in mind. 

I know you do. So anyway, it was really fun.

It was fun. mixing all my friends and, having a game night so yeah, I forgot to tell y'all off the air that I met the lesbians in town. 

sweet, 

Yeah. So there's three of us now.

Nice.

population of how many, how many people you got in that town?

Oh, about eight or 9, 000,

Oh, that's not small. Come on,

Okay. Well, but there are more lesbians, but I don't know, maybe they're undercover. Who knows?

That could be a book. Lesbians 

under cover. That's a Kimberly book right there. There you go.

really? Really? 

Okay, well, For me, 

 I'm very excited because today is the last day of the I Heart Sapphic Opposites Attract ebook giveaway. By the time this comes out, it'll be too late, but I really enjoyed being part of the giveaway and someone is going to win 17 books.

 And this weekend. We are going to hang inside because it's going to snow today. And we're very because the Bills are playing and they're playing at home in Buffalo, New York, and it's probably going to snow. So watching football games in the snow is so much fun for us. So we are excited about that. 

Yeah. 

that.

Oh, well, yeah.

Bills, yes.

and then the last exciting thing, which everyone really wants to know, is I'm making eggplant parmesan.

Oh, I do not like eggplant.

You 

 Oh my Oh my god, 

Okay. So I don't 

really either. I have 

tried, 

can I,

be friends with you people

because, because we like, I bet we like chicken parm. Don't we like

I do like chicken parm.

Can you throw a piece of chicken in there 

Yeah. 

all my Italian friends,

I bet. No, I would try it. I bet. I bet your eggplant is

great. 

I do not have a drop of Italian in me, sorry. Uh,

Maybe it's because of the way I prepared it.

So, so no, I'm, 

no, 

slimy. Bleh. 

Well you know what, we're just gonna move right on from that then because I can't even comment without expletives coming out of my mouth. So, KC, any texts texts this week?

we got a couple texts this week. Jules texted from L.A. And she appreciated the fire shout out that we were supporting her and thinking of them out there. And we still are, of course, she's also a computer science major, which is kind of cool to have that connection. And she wished me well on the road trip.

I always appreciate that. And Cheryl also sent us a text and she has experienced a lot of burnout from her job. Sounds like, she, has kind of a customer service job, And Not always the best. So it's kind of a bummer, but she gets through that by watching her favorite shows to unwind.

nice.

Yep. Oh, and by the way, you can also comment on our Facebook posts. or on Blue Sky. So if you want to comment on any of those, I'll also pick those up and talk about them in the next episode.

Cool. we, continue to get, emails on people. giving us questions for ask us anything. So we're making a nice big list, to do that episode eventually. trying to remember who emailed and said that they, thought that if we did this collab on the dating app book, that y'all had to write all the angst so that I could write the fun parts.

I totally agreed with that. Thalita, our Brazilian listener. Who sends us kisses, and hugs, plans to write more reviews this year. She was talking about our trends episode, and I certainly appreciate that. So that's the emails.

And then from Instagram, we had Jules again there, 

 one of the things that I thought was fun is she said, one of us should write a romantasy book, which I'm saying, not me.

I just want to shout out Jules for commenting, to all of us. I think she wants to make sure each of us gets a comment.

she's like the super nice mom that makes sure every kid gets a cookie. So she's 

Yeah. 

Yeah. 

 She did mention that where she and her wife live, not far from the fires, but they live in the central of suburbia and it would be really hard for the fires to get to them, but they did know several friends and family that had lost everything.

So our hearts go out to them. I appreciate her updates because I know I've been worrying about her. And, our other readers and listeners out in Cali. 

Yeah, 

for sure. 

And then the other thing that she said that she thought would be absolutely fabulous if we did a collaboration, like we were talking about on a book, specifically about a dating app.

We should do this.

Oh my gosh. we 

should,

do at least a novella about it. That would be a hoot. I think we'd have a great time. Each of us could have a character who's looking for a date on a dating app.

That would be really fun actually.

That would be fun. Yeah.

 listeners, Jamey is just shaking her head.

shall bully her into 

That's right.

No, it's going to be great once we figure out what we're doing.

 Okay, so let's move on. and today, again, we're talking about burnout and throwing the towel in. So KC, you want to start us off?

Sure. So I'm going to start us off with a quote. one of my favorite authors is Anne Lamott. She writes books about writing, Bird by Bird is my favorite of hers, which is a very helpful, if you get stuck a lot and need to learn how to write books, she's very helpful that way. But the quote is, " Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."

And that is absolutely the truth. If you, get stuck. Uh. You got burnout, take an unplug moment and it might reboot you like a computer. But have I had burnout? yes, absolutely. A couple of times. once when I first started my career about, about two years in, I had written a lot of books really fast and then suddenly.

I just got tired, I think was the big thing. I just got tired and decided maybe I don't want to do this anymore. Things like that. And then when I started, I Read Indies. if you remember that it was a self publishing group that's, it's still alive, but I handed it over to someone else. But I got burned out from that too.

That took a lot of time and a lot of work and a lot of energy. And I think that's just a big thing. My batteries run out and I kind of need to just step back. So, that's what I do I take a break, but it might seem like I have burnout right now because I'm not writing at all, but I don't think it's burnout.

I think I'm just taking a little break and I'll be writing again soon once I get back home. And especially after retirement, I really see that the words will start flowing. 

So how about you, Jamey? Have you ever experienced burnout?

I don't know if it's necessarily burnout, but I feel overwhelmed. It seems to me that in December and January, We get inundated with emails and it bothers me. I don't know if it's folks trying to sell us stuff and I'm not talking authors or anything like that necessarily.

 but it just seems like there's a ton of emails. And then at the beginning of the year there are, and I get a little overwhelmed

 and I'm trying to write a book or trying to, release a book.

And it feels like, everything's coming at you. And, I wouldn't call that burnout. I just get kind of overwhelmed. There are times, when, it's like the words won't come. And I have to, I get a little nervous about that. The only time I think it's really happened to me, and I don't know if this would be writer's block or if it would have been burnout, but I was doing a short story for an anthology.

And I really loved the short story, how it turned out, which that never happens. And, on a short story, but, I, thought, you know what, I'm going to make this into a book. And so I finished the short story and got it going and everything. And I sat down to write the book and I was like, what do I do now?

Because I knew what I wanted them to do, but it was like, this sounds kind of boring. And. I really like these people and if I try to do this, I think it's going to be horrible. So finally I just stepped away. 

So that's what I have to do when I'm overwhelmed or burned  out. I step away and take a day and do something away from the computer or away from my book.

and hope that an idea will come to me or if I'm stuck in a scene, it'll come to me or something like that. So I don't know that I've ever really had burnout, just maybe. Needed to pause.

Well, for me my best year I produced two books. So burnout isn't a thing exactly for me right now, but, I have been discouraged a couple times where the words didn't flow and I would sit in my computer every day and just stare at the screen. And if I got fifty words down, Oh. I guess that was a good day. 

Uh. 

to make myself feel better. and then there were times where I just, for maybe a week at a time or two weeks, I just didn't have any thoughts at all. No creativity. I just couldn't even think of a scenario or what was going to happen next in the book.

I was like, Oh, they're here. And this just happened. Now what? And I have no idea what's going to happen. And then I ask my mom, my friends, everybody, 

 still don't know what's happening.

That's rough. when that happens to me, though, I do the hundred things that can happen, list. Have you ever tried this?

No, I never heard of it.

Yeah. So, basically, you can put down absolutely anything that can happen, even if it's ridiculous, like aliens land and abduct them or something. And I find that really does unblock me, 

cause you have to come up with something.

 a hundred somethings and they can really be stupid. You know, they, drowned. I mean it could be anything

That sounds like one of my 

books. 

You know So yeah, that's true more people die. But yeah, definitely. writer's block and being burned out. kind of go together, When you start getting burned out the words don't flow you kind of have writer's block If you start to think your stuff is boring, which You know, you always gotta be careful about that because I don't think there's an author on the planet that at some point in their book doesn't go, this is boring.

I 

thing What the hell is this?

know what's gonna read this. This is crap. Even the big ones. I bet Jae even does that once in a while. Looks at it and goes, Yeah, I know this is boring.

I know.

So how else do you deal with it? Celebrating your accomplishments. That's a big one. I Used to have all my books on a shelf, but I put them away after a while. I just got tired of looking at them, but what I think I need to do is come up with some wall art or something with some of the covers I really like, so that when I lean back in my chair from the writing desk and I look at the wall, I can say, Hey, you know what?

I might be struggling today, but I have done things. I have written good books that people have liked.

Yeah. Y'all know that I've, set up my home office, in the last few months since I semi retired. And I'll tell you what I did. I've got a bookcase right next to my desk, and it does have all my books in it. So I have them, shelved in the order, that they were written and when I'm having trouble or I'm looking over and I think this is boring or I'm looking at where they're ranking or their sales and I'm thinking, what am I doing?

I look over at those books and I think, well, you did something right. You know, you're doing something. 

That, that readers like. So take a breath and get to it.

Yeah. And I've done something similar. I have, on my wall. You guys can't see it, but it's straight ahead. I printed it in huge font. That has, three reviews from different . 

Books, 

nice.

 they're positive, you know, where the person's saying something like, I really love the writing, I can't wait for the next book, things like that, because then you can say, see, there's one person right there in front of your face that you know is happy you're writing another book.

You know, I mean, there's, you have lots of reviews, but I pick out the ones that are more motivating 

Yeah. Yeah. 

That's

a good idea. I might incorporate that into my artwork I'm talking about. That's a really great idea. 

 One other thing I do is, my screensaver, my home screen on my phone

is the cover. Of the book that's coming out next or is out right now. So for example, the one that's on there now is going to be the new cover for the book that's going to come out in February. And it just reminds me that, Hey, you know, you're doing okay because I could have all kinds of different things on that home screen, 

And I thought, no, this is a kind of, for you to realize what you're doing is, you know, somebody's out there waiting to read this book. 

Yeah. I do that too. I often, right before I release a book, we'll put the book cover on my home screen. I mean, right now, obviously it's my girlfriend from

Hawaii, but yeah. 

yeah. Cause I'm not writing a damn thing right now, but when the time comes to release another book, I'll probably put it on there.

Cause I kind of consider that good luck. So yeah, I'd like to do that

too. 

Yeah. 

I'll have to give that a try. I haven't done that, but that sounds 

Yeah.

 It's definitely fun. another thing I have found, so some of the advice I've already given was given to me by a really good therapist. So if you, Sometimes find yourself stuck or burned out or frustrated. Talking to someone else about it can be very, very helpful. It doesn't have to be a pro.

You don't have to have therapists necessarily, but talk to your friends about it. Like I talk to you too often about if things aren't working or if I get frustrated or if I feel like giving up, you know, my podcast pals are certainly go to people to help me get through those dark moments. So yeah.

Definitely talk to others. 

Yeah. That's what we're for. I was going to

say, 

exactly. 

more 

what's going, what's

 A couple of newer authors, have reached out and said, wow, my book didn't do as well as I hoped it would. You know, what do you think? And, I try to give them support.

So yeah, don't hesitate to reach out to others because all the other authors are going through the same thing. You're definitely not alone.

And you can certainly contact us. I mean,

we are more than happy to be there for you.

 I have a thing that I, I kind of hinted to before, but I find that sometimes when you, step away from social media, because if you're looking in the groups, and it's not necessarily like my page or one of your guys pages, it can just be in the group where people are talking, in general, maybe a someone's talking something kind of unkind about another writer or their book or something like that.

And to me, that just is soul crushing because you put your whole life into your book. Like it's got your thoughts and pieces of you, basically not everything is you, but pieces of you are in it and you've spent a year maybe writing it and to see someone or anyone in a group going on and on in this conversation with unkind things that can be very discouraging, which can also make you think, why should I even write if this is what I'm going to have to see?

Even though it's not your book, it still affects you. So I try to step away from social media. If I see that it's going in a negative, you know, tone, I just go somewhere else.

yeah. And those people just shock me. It shocks me that people will do that. That will, someone will tear down another author or a book and just what is the point of posting something so negative, but yeah, social media can be really hard. I often have to take breaks from social media because especially right now, there's a lot of.

Posts going on, you know, tomorrow's inauguration, whatever, so I don't want to go down that path. But yeah, social media is tough right now, 

Exercise helps me, I try to, take a day off, Or do something, that kind of gets my heart rate up and that'll get my mind off of it, of whatever it is that's bothering me.

Or sometimes if I'm taking a walk, I can think through it and that will help. So I'm going to say try exercise to get over.

The thought of exercise helps me.

You're like, I do not want to exercise, I would rather write.

I always, yeah. I was like, you can go out, it's six degrees today. Why don't you go for a walk? Or you could sit here and get some words done.

That's motivating. 

teasing. Yeah. 

Oh, man. 

Well listeners, there is a bike in the background of, my podcasting pals view of me right now. So that's probably what I'm going to do when we get through today. Cause it's cold here too.

Yeah, yeah,

again, in Texas, it's cold. We're having a cold snap.

 another thing I've found is mixing it up. So, if you know me, you read my KC Luck books, you'll know that I mix up genres. I'll, go from, action adventure, to regular romance, to science fiction. I've written all those different things. Erotica, whatever, to help mix it up, because sometimes you just get bored.

And I realize now that's one of the reasons, maybe, why I've slowed down so much. It's my last I've Four or five books have all been contemporary romance for the most part, and that sells. So that's why I've been writing it. And I don't hate it necessarily, but it's not my favorite thing to write.

So what I need to do is probably my next book should really be something that I'm super into and excited about and not worry about, making another buck. So yeah mixing, it up is always good.

Yeah, I think I'd jump on that bandwagon since I've done Mafia and Vampires, and my newest book is completely different. So I know they say you're supposed to stay in the same exact thing, as you go, so that you build a reader group within a certain expected genre, but each to his own.

What about starting a new project? Because I am one that will. Once I start a book, I'm going to write it all the way to the end. I don't have two or three different books going at one time. I know some authors do that and way to go you, because I don't know how you do that. I kind of have to stick with the story I'm writing and keep going till the end because that to me, maybe it's the story that's making you burn out.

And, maybe you need to start something new, but then I would be afraid I wouldn't go back and, finish it. But do y'all do that? Do more than one book at one time.

Yeah, yeah, I'm all over the place right now. I've got, you know, the next billionaires has started, I've started another contemporary romance. I've been working a little bit on the next darkness. So you know, I just really didn't get my shit organized, basically, write something down to the end,

Yeah, I just write one book because I can only focus on the one 

And I go from the beginning to the end and then I'm done. And then I can think about a new book. 

But otherwise I get too confused.

Maybe that's what's going on with you, KC, is you're liking all of them. You don't know which one to go to and get going on.

Actually, I don't like any of them. I think it's the opposite. 

 just start another new one?

you go. Start over. Something else. Hey, another way to mix it up is to start podcasts with your pals. That's what I do. That's it.

I do like the podcast. It's fun.

Yeah. It keeps my name out there when I'm not producing anything. So I appreciate you guys letting me hang out with you.

is there anything else we need to say about burnout? Because I know something else we could go to.

Your dating app.

No, no, not that. I want to go to, the authors on the podcast that are writing.

Oh, yes.

Oh, 

Okay. Kimberly, you go, okay. Well, I finished my book

and I finished the reader magnet yesterday.

Oh, wow.

Yeah. And so now I have to start going through it and finding all the repetitive words, all the stuff that sucks and fix it.

Yeah. Well done. 

Yeah. 

Congratulations. 

Yeah, 

Well, I too have finished my book and today i'm gonna do the epilogue.

Woo hoo., i've kind of waited a day or two on the epilogue because I couldn't exactly decide. Here's a perfect example of not necessarily burnout, but I couldn't exactly decide what I wanted to do.

 and then when I made up my mind, I was like, Hmm, how do I get them there? So that was the problem. And, sure enough, last night it came to me. So I took a little voice memo and, now I'll write it today after we finished with the podcast.

Yay.

 it's just funny how that happens.

You know, I'd been thinking about it and I just let the ideas keep going. And then finally it was like, Oh yeah, we'll do this.

I love it when that happens. 

 I 

I know I'm pretty fired up about it. I can finish it today.

Yeah. 

Yay. 

congratulations to you both. That's fantastic news.

Thank you. Okay, so for next week we're going to talk about making characters that are engaging, and this is from one of our listeners that had written in to us.

 So what is your favorite character trait?

What do you love about? certain characters that make you always want to read about that character and what are your turn offs? What are ones that you're just like start reading or you read in the blurb and you're just like yeah No, not reading that. So give us those heads up. 

We do need to know those things. Like if there's a character trait that you don't like and you see it on a blurb and it makes you not want to get The book please Listeners, let us know. 

Let us know yeah, never want to write that again or don't put them in the blurb.

So an update on the dating app is that I got jack shit from anybody. So

I know.

It's still the five that I picked. And I guess I'm going to narrow it down to three and then I can have a sidebar with you two and we can decide which 

one we think would be best. 

Okay.

I know 

people are anxiously waiting to hear what's going on with that, so we can't forget to update them.

Yeah.

Yeah, they must be since they're all weighing in on which app we're supposed to use. Cheryl did mention eHarmony. I think her brother used it or something like that.

So 

Yeah.

you 

go. 

that's one.

Well, you know what? This will be an adventure for us because if we are going to write a collaborative book about 

about a dating 

hmm. We can 

Start with all this crap that we're gathering. So

exactly I think this is gonna be perfect. 

 Well, that's it for this week. Thank you for listening.

Thank you everybody. Talk to you next week

Have a great week. Bye. 

Thanks for listening. If you'd like to reach out to us, you can contact us by email at contact@threelesbiansandapen.com with the number three spelled out or on Instagram, Facebook and X at Three Lesbians and a Pen using the number three. And finally on our website, at threelesbiansandapen.com, we look forward to hearing from you, see you next week.