How to Get Back Into Writing After a Long Break

You used to write.

Then life happened.

A few days became a few weeks.

A few weeks became months.

Maybe even years.

Now you want to start writing again, but something feels different.

You're rusty.

The words don't come as easily.

You wonder whether you've lost whatever you had before.

You probably haven't.

You don't need to become a writer again. You just need to start writing again.

Don't Try to Make Up for Lost Time

One of the easiest mistakes is trying to come back too hard.

You haven't written for six months, so you decide you're going to write 2,000 words every morning.

Or finish that abandoned book.

Or publish three articles this week.

Or write every single day from now on.

That enthusiasm feels good.

But it can turn returning to writing into another enormous project.

You don't have to compensate for the time you weren't writing.

Start from where you are now.

Expect to Feel Rusty

Your first writing session back might feel awkward.

That's okay.

You might struggle to find words.

Your sentences may feel clumsy.

Your attention may wander.

You might read what you've written and think:

I used to be better at this.

Maybe you were.

You were also practising more.

Don't use your first day back to measure your ability.

Give yourself time to get moving again.

Start Smaller Than You Think You Need To

You don't need a two-hour writing session.

Start with 10 minutes.

That's enough.

Ten minutes removes much of the pressure.

You're not trying to finish anything.

You're simply rebuilding the act of sitting down and putting words on a page.

The first goal is consistency with writing, not quantity of writing.

Don't Start With Your Hardest Project

You may have an unfinished novel, book, article, or script waiting for you.

That doesn't mean it needs to be the first thing you return to.

Old projects can carry baggage.

You remember where you got stuck.

You remember how much work remains.

You may feel guilty for abandoning them.

Instead, write something easy.

Something disposable.

Something nobody else needs to see.

Get comfortable writing again before asking yourself to tackle the mountain.

Use Freewriting to Get Moving Again

Freewriting is particularly useful when returning after a long break because there is almost nothing to get right.

Set a timer.

Start writing.

Keep going.

Don't edit.

Don't worry about structure.

Don't worry about whether the writing is useful.

You can even start with:

I haven't written properly for a long time and it feels strange to be doing this again...

Then follow the thought.

The purpose isn't to produce great writing. It's to make writing feel normal again.

Write About Why You Stopped

If you've been away from writing for a long time, it can be useful to ask why.

Maybe you became busy.

Maybe you lost interest in a project.

Maybe you became discouraged.

Maybe you were putting too much pressure on yourself.

Maybe writing started feeling like work instead of something you enjoyed.

Maybe something else in your life simply became more important.

Try writing:

I stopped writing because...

Then keep going.

You might learn something useful about how you want to approach writing this time.

Don't Wait for Your Old Motivation to Return

You may remember a time when you couldn't wait to write.

Ideas were everywhere.

You were excited about projects.

Writing felt natural.

It's tempting to wait until you feel that way again.

But motivation doesn't always arrive before action.

Sometimes interest returns because you start doing the thing again.

Write first.

Give enthusiasm a chance to catch up.

Don't Turn It Into an Identity Crisis

A long break can make you wonder whether you're still a writer.

Maybe you've lost it.

Maybe you've changed.

Maybe writing isn't for you anymore.

You don't need to answer those questions before opening a document.

Forget the label for a while.

You don't need to prove that you're a writer.

Write something today.

That's enough.

Don't Compare Yourself to Your Best Work

This is another trap.

You return to writing and compare today's rough paragraph with something you polished and published years ago.

Of course the new writing looks worse.

You're comparing a fresh draft with finished work.

You're also comparing yourself after a break with yourself when you were regularly practising.

That's not a fair comparison.

Compare today's writing with the blank page you started with.

Now you're making progress.

Write Something Fun

Not everything needs to become a project.

Write something ridiculous.

Write a memory.

Write about something that annoys you.

Write a terrible story on purpose.

Write about the strangest thing that happened this week.

Write something you have absolutely no intention of publishing.

Remember that writing can be play.

Enjoyment can be a better way back than discipline alone.

Make Writing Easy to Access

Reduce the number of steps between wanting to write and actually writing.

Keep a notebook nearby.

Leave your writing document easy to find.

Use a simple writing app.

Have somewhere to quickly capture ideas.

Don't spend 20 minutes preparing for a 10-minute writing session.

The easier writing is to begin, the more likely you are to do it.

A Simple Seven-Day Restart

You don't need a complicated writing routine.

Try this instead.

Day 1: Write for 5 Minutes

Write anything.

The goal is simply to begin again.

Day 2: Write for 10 Minutes

Freewrite about whatever is on your mind.

Day 3: Write About Something You Care About

Don't worry about turning it into anything.

Just explore it.

Day 4: Take an Old Idea and Play With It

Find an old note, unfinished paragraph, or abandoned idea.

Add something to it.

Day 5: Write Something New

Start with a question, observation, memory, or opinion.

Day 6: Write for Fun

No audience.

No publishing.

No expectations.

Day 7: Look Back

Read what you've written during the week.

Don't focus on what is bad.

Look for something you'd like to continue.

Build Momentum Before Ambition

Once you've started writing again, it's tempting to immediately create big goals.

A book.

A daily newsletter.

A publishing schedule.

A thousand words every morning.

Those things can come later.

First rebuild momentum.

Let writing become part of your life again before loading it with expectations.

You Don't Need to Start Where You Left Off

This might be the most important part.

You are not required to return to the writer you used to be.

Your interests may have changed.

Your life may have changed.

Your voice may have changed.

The things you want to write about may be completely different now.