Have you ever asked yourself ‘how to get back into writing’ at some point in your life?
Maybe you want to get back into writing your novel after the holidays.
Maybe you took a writing hiatus while you focused on other things in your life.
Maybe you’re feeling uninspired by your novel and you really want to get back into it again.
Don’t worry, girl, we’ve got you.
It’s f*cking hard to get back into the swing of things after taking time off.
But, as it always does, there comes a time to brush off those creative cobwebs, roll up your sleeves, brew your favourite drink, and get back to writing your novel.
If you’re like most writers, the first few sessions of novel writing after a hiatus may feel like lugging a boulder up a mountain. You’ve lost the inspiration, your words aren’t flowing, and you hate everything that’s pooling on the page.
We get you!
So we’re here to give you some tips and tricks to help make that first writing session, and the messy ones that follow, a little easier.
So, grab your favourite mug of tea or coffee (or wine – we don’t judge), get your laptop ready, and let’s get into it. This is how to start writing again!
Reconnect With Your Novel by Re-reading Your Last Chapters
So you’re now nestled in your favourite novel writing nook, enveloped in a blanket of familiarity, with a steaming cup in hand.
The first thing you’re going to do to get back into writing your novel is read through the last few chapters/scenes you wrote before you took a break.
Revisiting your last chapters is more than a refresher; it’s a reunion with the essence of your story. Think of it like reacquainting yourself with the world.
For many, taking a break might allow you the time to fully switch off and stop thinking about the story that’s screaming to be written inside your head.
For others, you may still be thinking about your book even when you don’t have the drive to write.
Regardless of where you fall in this – it’s time to return to your story.
Read through as little or as much as you want to dive deep into the world, rediscover your characters and the small but beautiful nuances that make them up, and feel the pulse of emotions coursing through the pages.
You should be focusing on:
- Reconnecting with the emotional beats of your story. Feel the highs, lows, and tensions between characters or within the plot so you know where to go next.
- Pay attention to unresolved plot threads or lingering story arcs. Identify areas where the story might need development or resolution, ensuring continuity and coherence in the narrative.
- Analyse the growth and evolution of your characters. Check if their motivations, conflicts, and actions align with their established traits and if they’re moving organically within the story’s framework (but don’t worry too much about the characters themselves – you’ll look at them in detail later on before writing)
- Immerse yourself in the atmosphere and tone of your narrative again. Ensure that the ambience and mood of your writing align with the story’s intent and the emotions you wish to evoke in your readers. Reading through your work also allows you to continue writing in the same style when you get back into it.
- Assess the authenticity of your characters’ dialogues and interactions. Check if the conversations feel genuine and contribute to character development or plot advancement. This gives you a shortlist of things to do or not do as you continue writing.
- Revisit the settings and descriptive elements in your story. Ensure your environments are vividly depicted, engaging the readers’ senses and providing a rich backdrop for the unfolding tale.
While all of this might sound tedious, your main prerogative is to get back into the groove of your work in progress. Read as little or as much as you want to ensure you can seamlessly slide back in.
Set Clear Goals for Your Novel Writing
I know, I know, goal setting is what every man and his dog recommends when you attempt to start writing again.
While we’re not going to hark on about setting smart goals for your novel, getting back into writing is easiest when you’re reminded about your goals.
If you don’t have any novel writing goals, make some. Having a rough goal for your novel is essential to success.
If you do have writing goals, whether it’s a rough word count, a dream to be on the NYT bestseller list, or something else entirely, look at them again.
Then, make sure those goals still align with your life.
If they do, great. If they don’t, change them so that they do.
Here are some novel writing goals you might want to consider:
- Outline specific objectives for your writing sessions. Whether it’s resolving a character conflict or introducing a new plot twist, having tangible milestones keeps your writing focused and purposeful.
- Create a loose timeline for finishing your novel. If you write 2,000 words every day, how many days should it take you to complete your draft? If you write for two hours a day, how many hours should this book take overall? Whatever the timeline is, ensure you leave room for flexibility; writing often surprises us, and allowing for spontaneity nurtures creativity.
Hot tip: having a daily word goal target is often quite damaging to the creative process. Rather than writing the story authentically, your brain is subconsciously aiming to achieve just that word count. Instead of having a word count, consider having a time limit for your novel writing sessions. This will allow your creativity to flow uncapped.
How To Start Writing Again – Re-establish Your Writing Routine
One of the hardest parts about starting to write again after a hiatus is re-establishing your writing routine.
Writing routines are fickle things, and girl, we’ve all struggled to keep to them.
If there’s one piece of advice we have here at So You Wrote A Book, it’s that the more you write, the more you’ll want to write.
The second bit of advice we love is to make sure you always have a great writing setup. Whether it’s a dedicated desk, a cozy nook, or the hum of a bustling café, find a space that fosters focus and creative flow.
Here are some things to focus on when setting your writing routine up for success:
- Develop pre-writing rituals to signal your brain that it’s time to create. Rituals could be brewing a cup of your favourite beverage, listening to inspiring music, making a writing prompt sprint to get in the writing mood, or spending a few minutes in meditation or mindfulness. Not sure how to do any of this? Download our easy 101 writing prompts to get you in the mood.
- Understand your peak creative hours. Whether it’s the calm of the early morning or the tranquillity of the night, align your writing routine with your most productive times. And yes, this means there likely will be sacrifices like sleep or time with your fur-baby, friends, or that new romance you just picked up at the store.
- Set aside dedicated writing times in your calendar and commit to them as you would any other important appointment. Seriously. Would you ever cancel a Doctor’s appointment simply because you’re too tired and you want to sleep in? Treat your writing as important as anything else (or maybe even more important).
- Engage in writing accountability systems or partner up with a writing buddy. Whether it’s a writing group, an accountability app, or simply sharing your writing goals with a friend, having external accountability can significantly boost motivation.
- Acknowledge that life can throw curveballs, and your routine might need adjustments. Be adaptable, allowing yourself to adapt your writing routine without guilt when unforeseen circumstances arise.
Reconnect with Your Characters – They’ve Missed You!
One of the things that has probably slipped your mind the most while you took a break from writing your novel, is the ins and outs of your characters. If you take one thing away from this post – it’s to reconnect with your characters before you get back into writing your novel again.
For fantasy writers, this also extends to your setting, as we see the setting to be a ‘character-like’ figure throughout your novel because of how important its ebbs and flows are.
Things to do to reconnect with your characters:
- Revisit your character profiles, notes, images, etc. and rediscover the quirks, motivations, and desires that make your characters come alive.
- Rediscover their individual and unique voices, establish their needs and wants again, and remember how they look.
How To Start Writing Again – Seek Inspiration
One of the easiest (and dare we say best) ways of re-sparking the writing magic and starting writing again after a break is to seek inspiration.
There are so many ways you can do this, and you have probably already found some that work for you, but here is a list we love to use to help us get in the groove of our novels when we sit down to write!
- Watch movies in the genre you’re writing to see things happening visually.
- Go out for a walk in nature without headphones – the act of walking alone gives you time to be present and truly take in your surroundings. This is not only good for you, but it also allows you to think deeper and more widely, allowing room for inspiration to spark.
- Make Pinterest your best friend. We love a good Pinterest board for your novel. Seriously, it’s the best platform to use if you visually want to plan out your novel. If you’re not sure on the best ways to utilise Pinterest for your story, check out our Novel-mapping Pinterest guide!
- Create thematic playlists or find music that resonates with the mood or setting of your novel. Certain songs or soundtracks have the power to evoke emotions or trigger specific scenes in your mind, allowing inspiration to run wild.
- Participate in writing prompts or creative exercises designed to stretch your imagination. These exercises can unlock dormant creativity, allowing you to explore new angles or characters for your story. Download our 101 writing prompts to inspire you to write now!
- Journal from the perspective of your characters. This is one of our favourite writing hacks at So You Wrote A Book. It’s the truest and easiest way of getting into the head of our characters – and we recommend you try it, too. Sit down and journal as if you are your characters. You can make it as simple as answering a question – how do you feel today – or as broad as you want. You can make it about an event – how you felt while you took a break from writing – or about something that happened in the past. Remember, the key is to write it from your character’s perspective, using their voice and getting right inside their head.
Celebrate Your Writing Achievements!
Did you sit down to write today and only get 200 words on the page? Maybe all you could muster up was enough energy to read through the last chapter you wrote before you took a break? Or maybe you didn’t even make it off Pinterest.
Regardless of where you got to – go you! You did it. You got back into it, no matter how small.
Writing is a very solitary and exhausting thing. Anyone who tells you differently hasn’t written a book.
That’s why it’s important to recognise and celebrate even the smallest milestones. Every word written, every idea brainstormed, every time you even think about your novel, is progress on your creative path.
Be proud of yourself, girl. You’ve got this!
How to start writing again after a break isn’t going to be easy, and more than anything, it’s about rediscovering the magic that drew you to write your novel in the first place.
It’s about reigniting the flame that flickers within so you can continue kicking those writing goals and finish your novel.
So, take a deep breath, immerse yourself in the beauty of your story’s world, and write.
As you sit down to pen the next scene, chapter, or section, try to remember the exhilaration that surged when the first words flowed onto the blank page. It’s thrilling, isn’t it?
When writing a novel after a hiatus, embrace the ebbs and flows of the creative tide, enjoy the process, take it easy, and be proud of yourself.
Embrace it. Harness it. And let your stories soar.
