Getting back into writing after a long lay off can be challenging; the mind is slower, the heart bests slower, the hands are colder. When the motivation wanes, but the call to write remains, sometimes just going through a process can help you get going again.

Write, just write

It’s hard to do but sometimes just getting anything down on the page, regardless of quality, will help you kick start your writing. Right now I’m getting back into the habit by knocking together this blog, but I also write random bits of comedy, short stories and even a poem or two should the mood strike.

Writing is like exercise, you just need to give yourself the time and opportunity to work your writing muscles (yes your brain) back into shape. If you’re going back to the gym after a break do you go straight for the 30kg dumbbells? No, like me, you start on on the piddly little 1kg and work your way back up to beefcake muscles. It’s the same with writing work, you should work way back in with simple, easy exercises.

Pick something up

I leave a lot of my work half finished, or close to finished. It may seem like a bad habit, but it has given me a great catalogue of work that I can go back to when I’m a little low on inspiration. The most important thing when looking through your old work is to pick something with enough scope to develop the story, but not enough that you need to re-write the whole thing from scratch.

The best part of going through your old writing is that you can see how good a writer you actually are. I find that half of my problem with motivation stems from doubt, so when I go back and read my work, I am often pleasantly surprised by how much of it makes sense enough to re-visit.

The goal is momentum

Setting yourself a daily word count helps, but if you don’t hit the limit, don’t be dismayed. Sometimes, just jotting down a sentence or two can keep the motor ticking over. You might find that after a few days, you start to feel more comfortable taking time the time out of your day to get back into good writing habits.

I know I am back on track when I can sit down at the start of my writing hour (8pm) and can just write few things down, until I feel comfortable enough with my work to put my pad down and sit back with a cup of tea.

Keep yourself golden

Don’t punish yourself if things aren’t working as well you would like. Give yourself a break, seriously. If things remain undone is it the end of the world?

Your health is worth more than your writing, so if you’re not feeling it yet, just give yourself some more time.