How To Get Back To Writing After A Break

Sometimes life gets incredibly busy or overwhelming, or your writer’s block seems like it’s 100 feet tall and made of impenetrable steel. Whether it’s planned or it just happens, you end up taking a break from your writing. It’s understandable that you might need to step away from the keyboard for a while. Your hiatus may be two weeks or two months (or even two years), but the great thing about writing is that you can always pick up that pen again! However, now that you’re ready to write, it may seem difficult to get back into your creative routine. Here are the best tips on how to shake off the dust and get back to writing after a break.

Tips To Help You Get Back To Writing After A Break

Determine why you stopped writing. When you’re ready to return to writing after a break, it’s important to understand why you stopped. Knowing what caused you to put writing aside can help you determine what adjustments you need to make now in order to be successful.

Set new goals (or readjust your original goals). Goals can be great motivators for writers who want to keep themselves on task. If you had goals before but found yourself missing your self-imposed deadlines, it’s time to determine if the goals you set were realistic. Unrealistic writing goals are the quickest way to set yourself up for failure and potentially trigger a long, unintended break from writing.

For example, your original goal might have been to write ten pages a week, but the best you could do was seven. If you miss deadlines and get frustrated, you’re more likely to give up and walk away — and less likely to come back to writing. Now that you’re ready to get started again, readjust your goals and set yourself up for success! If seven pages is more realistic for your lifestyle — or five, or even three — then make that your new, achievable goal.

Choose a good location. You want to feel comfortable writing again — and we mean that literally! Having a pleasant space that’s conducive to writing makes it easier to keep coming back to the work. Make sure your space, whether it’s in your home, a café, or the local library, offers an environment that makes you want to write.