Post-Book Author Depression
What sometimes happens to authors when they finish writing a book
Published on 2026-04-19 13:55:04
I recently finished writing two books, Worldless: Born in the Middle and Not Business Casual, and I am feeling seriously down. More on that!
There is a thing called "post book despression"
You can find a Reddit discussion here: Can we please talk about "post book depression"?
The original poster said:
After a little bit of research, I discovered there was such a thing called "post book depression", where people feel sad after finishing a book they enjoyed. I think this happens, because you get attached to the characters, the world they're living in and you become a part of it and when it ends, you realize that you get separated from them and you are supposed to go back to your sad reality...
Well, I am an author, and these are my characters, so imagine how it can sometimes feel?
I first wrote "Not Business Casual" about Joan, a mother of two high schoolers, her daughter Cameron, 18 years old, and her son, Thomas (TJ) 16, almost 17.
In the first chapter, she goes in the office on a Friday after having taken a sick day to take care of her son, only to discover that all of her colleagues who do work on Friday (everyone works in the office 3 days per week) are naked! They are naturists.
This makes her realize that the 5 naturist centers in her town aren't just abstractions. There are people living there, people she knows. Over 30 chapters, things occur at work, in her marriage, with her kids, with her colleagues, and the story evolves.
But chapter 30 is only the end of the book. A lot is resolved, but the story will probably continue in a sequel, but it's not planned yet in depth, so it will not be written right away.
Joan's story was inspired by my daughter-in-law, my son's girlfriend (Mel). She gave the initial idea, but I ran with it. It barely resembles her idea, so now I sit here worried. What if her idea was better? What if I made too many mistakes? Will people even like this story?
But she loved it. And she proposed another idea, which my daughter ( with whom I write My Life So Far) wanted to help me write.
Well, I have a great plan for the opening, and I began writing like a maniac to get her located, and in the end, I wrote the whole book on my own.
And again, it barely resembles Mel's idea. The concept of the generational ship, in the middle of its 15-generation journey, and of a normal young adult guy, Jake, choosing his wife without meeting her (it's a little dystopian, where genetic compatibility is more important than love).
The twist in chapter 7 is that she lives in a "closed zone" because... They are naturists! They don't even own clothes!
But that was the story. And it wasn't enough for me. So I took her idea, and I pushed it to 11, adding my own twists.
And now, that one is done too, and a few of my family have read both, and they love them, but it's not like... objective.
So, I am stuck, because my brain was focused on these characters, and now, they are done. No more Jake on his spaceship. No more Joan with her work problems.
But my brain doesn't just stop having ideas on demand. It's why I began making serialized stories in the first place. I am more scared of a completed story for which I have more ideas than of an aborted serial due to a lack ideas.
Because a series put aside can be brought back, but a finished book cannot be taken back once on sale.
I will recover; I always do. It takes a few days and new projects.
I have two non-writing projects that are almost done. And I have my new serial, "Inherited Orphans" which is going well.
But Kyle isn't Jake, and Sydney isn't Joan. It will take some time for my imagination to reset to new characters (and old ones for other serials).
Until then, I am reading "Sweet Melissa" by Ted Bun and I am loving it!
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