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How To Get Back Into Writing

By on April 5, 2018

We have all had those periods of time where we become a little, erm, more relaxed with our writing schedules, and do you know what? That’s OK.

However problems can occur when that ‘off day’, the one where you gave up a little early then becomes an ‘off week’ then you suddenly find other things begin to take priority, your whole writing routine goes out the window, and you suddenly find the very idea of sitting down to write extremely daunting.

The good news is you can get back into writing if you want to. It takes a little courage, a little patience, a little determination. But if you persevere, before you know it, you’ll be back to being productive and inspired to write once more.

So what are the things we can do to kickstart our writing again?

Routine is everything

Establishing a manageable but productive writing routine is the best thing any writer can do to get themselves back on track.

Only you know the times where you are likely to be more productive and where there are gaps in your schedule where you’ll be able to fit things in. Base your writing routine around that and force yourself to stick to it for a whole month. It will be difficult at first, but by the end of those four weeks you are sure to find it so much easier, and then you can tweak your routine to become even more productive.

Start little and often

Having ridiculously high expectations of yourself is just setting yourself up for failure. You are going to be a little slow getting started so aim for writing a little every day rather than setting unrealistic goals or ones too far in the future to mean anything.

No pressure!

Let’s face it; if you haven’t written anything for a while, you may well be a little rusty so don’t worry if your writing isn’t excellent to begin with. The more you practice, the better you’ll get!

Reward yourself

Incentivise yourself to keep on writing by giving yourself rewards each time you hit a goal or milestone. They don’t have to be huge rewards but don’t underestimate the power of rewarding yourself to keep you motivated.

Get feedback and encouragement

Joining a writing group can not only provide you with invaluable feedback and advice but will also keep you motivated to keep writing, even when you don’t feel like it. So consider joining a writing group to help keep you on the right path.

Getting back into writing might not be easy, but it is so worth it when you do, and you suddenly find that writing becomes an effortless part of your daily routine once more. So instead of sitting around and feeling guilty and beating yourself up about not writing, do something about it today!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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