Recap:

Okay, so it’s been a while since I’ve posted. Last time I was learning with you, I closed out our discussion on World-Building using the PMESII-PT method. For those who don’t remember, PMESII-PT is a military term used for assessment of the AO, or Area of Operation. I hope everyone enjoyed it and continues to ask questions about this approach. At the end of the last post, I said we’d delve into characters, but I’ll do that next week. Today we’re going to focus on what I’m doing this week and what many authors do from time to time.

Putting Words on Pages:

Whether you take a break because of expected or unexpected events, most of the time you’ll find your way back to the page. One thing, easier said than done, that will help most writers coming back to the page is keeping your expectations realistic. You may have been writing 2,000 words a day or maybe a book a day. But now you’re coming back to the page bleary eyed and mentally fogged. It’s okay. Don’t expect yourself to be the same writer you were a month, a year, or ten years ago. What can you do?

Treat Your Writing Like an Exercise Regimen:

By treating your writing like an exercise regimen, I don’t mean avoid at all costs. I mean, start out slow. You don’t go to the gym and day one squat 500 lbs. Or run a marathon once you’ve bought your first pair of running shoes. You go in and do some light workouts. For writers, that may be flash fiction prompts, writing a scene, paragraph, or even just a sentence of a story you left behind a long time ago. Here are some ideas if you’re not sure how to restart your writing.

Search story prompt ideas:

Whether cliché or something you haven’t thought of before, find a story prompt that gets you excited. If you have a favorite genre, you write in search “Science Fiction Writing Prompts” or “Romance Writing Prompts.” You can further refine these searches by adding the terms novel, short story, or flash fiction.

Revisit your last story:

If you left a novel, short story, or flash fiction piece unfinished, or in rough draft form, then read over it again. Don’t make any notes on the first read, just enjoy it, then go through again and keep writing, editing, or completely rewrite your story. Sometimes the old reminds you of the inspiration before you took your break.

Start a New Story:

The starting of something new is always exciting. So, if there was a story idea that’s built in your mind that drove you back to the page, work on that. In When, by Daniel H. Pink, he talks about how beginnings are the driving force for so many people’s success. The power of the new can give you the jump needed for restarting your writing practice.

Conclusion:

Getting back into writing is always a challenge, but if you find something that works for you, it can pay unknown dividends from a few words on the page. What are ways you start your writing? Do you have any tips for new writers or those coming off a long break?

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