After the holidays I had trouble getting back to my writing. In fact, there were others in my writing group who admitted they too were having the same problem. It was reassuring to know that others were experiencing the same thing. We decided to brainstorm ways that might motivate us to get back to our writing. Here are a few ideas for getting back to your writing after a break.
Suggestions to help you get back to writing
Acknowledge and accept that it is fine to take time off from your craft to enjoy family, friends and celebrating the holidays. Some of those events may even lead to stories or some colorful characters. It’s like research for your writing.
Create a simple and realistic schedule for your writing. Perhaps starting with something that you have written before the break and just read it. It may start an idea and get you back to writing. You might want to start with some research on your topic which might spark some writing ideas. Start small with your scheduling 15-30 minutes sounds more doable than I will write for 60-90 minutes. You will get there, but start small and do schedule time each day for writing.
Keep yourself accountable for your writing. In our writing group we set goals for each session and for the week. Having accountability partners really works! If you prefer you can keep a log or a chart to visualize the progress you are making.
Make time for reading. Reading and writing go hand in hand. Reading makes us better writers. By reading more we are exposed to different writing styles and ideas. If you are a picture book writer you can check my favorite picture books to add to your reading list.
Getting back to writing
I had some additional help in getting started. A friend of mine, Michelle Haseltine, suggested I join her 100 Days of Notebooking . I have loved writing in a notebook since I was in 1st grade. Notebooks always made me feel like a real writer. Each day I take time out and I write in my notebook. It really helped me to get back in the swing of things.
Tara Lazar inspired me to join her StoryStorm Challenge. StoryStorm is a month long brainstorming event. The challenge is to create 30 story ideas in 30 days. This has been very inspiring for me and very productive. I have created over 15 new story ideas.
Getting back into writing after a break is not easy, but hopefully some of these ideas will inspire you to pick up your pen, pencil or computer and share your words!