How to Start Writing Again After a Long Break
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Every writer needs a break every now and again. And with the general state of things in the year 2022, I’d be shocked if you weren’t super burnt out and in need of a vacation from writing. But when you’re ready to come back, you need to know how to start writing again after a long break.
Sure, it can be hard to build a writing habit if you haven’t sat at the keyboard for a while. But the cool thing about writing is that you can pick it back up whenever you want.
Yes, it’s work to start writing again. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? Writing is always work. So, like, you’re not doing anything extra, really.
I mean, you will have the added work of getting back in the habit of writing, but once the habit is built, then it’s smooth sailing.
(Except for all the obstacles that come with writing, like burn out and plot holes and writer’s block.)
Anyway, if you’ve taken some time off writing, here are my tips for how to start writing again after a long break.
How to Start Writing Again After a Long Break
Even if you feel like you’ve been away from writing for too long, you can still fall back into your old writing routine. These tips can make it easier for you to ease back into the writing habit.
001: Do some writing exercises.
Writing exercises are a great way to do some low-stakes writing and build up the writing muscles again. There are tons of exercises to start writing again out there, but I recommend some good ol’ fashioned free writing. You can simply grab a notebook and a good pen, set a timer, and write until the timer goes off. But if you need a little inspiration, I recommend pulling a tarot card first and letting that be the inspiration for that particular writing exercise. Or you can take a line from your favorite book and use it to start your writing.
This also works for poetry too. Knowing how to get back into writing poetry can be as simple as free writing. Or, depending on the focus of your work, you could take an experience, journal it out, and then use that as the inspiration for the poetry writing session.
