How do I get back into the flow of writing?

[Guest]

How do I start writing again after nearly eleven to twelve years of not writing and reading?

[Guest]

All of these posts are great advice and they are all accurate depending on what you can relate to. Something that I needed that I didn’t realize as a starting point was simply going to a book store and seeing all the published authors’ books. Saying to myself, “Wow, I bet they never thought they’d be a writer at one point too. Now look at them!”

It was inspiring to think about what struggles all the authors may have gone through to get where they are today. Also made me think, “If they can do it, why can’t I?” Everyone has their own journey, but it gave me motivation, confidence and a feeling of connection/understanding.

[Delphine]

Just take a big breath and start writing. I hadn't written a word in 20 years and can't stop scribbling since the February. Within a few months, I wrote first drafts for 2 novels and over 30 flash fictions. One word at a time

[Ilia]

Start by reading.

Now my methods may not be your methods, but my greatest inspiration has actually been fan fictions. To be fair, a lot of it is more about "Ugh, I can write this story better than they can! What a stupid decision they made in this part!" Of course, my stories veer off in my own direction so I'm not even rewriting the exact same story because once boosted, my imagination takes off on its own directions.

Fan fiction is a good and easy start because you can write out a better scene, and it doesn't have to be publish worthy, it just has to be the step you take to get your inspiration flowing.

[Pamela]

I had this very issue. I started again because I had a story that wouldn’t let go. I just started writing to get it out of my system. Told myself it didn’t have to be good and I had no expectations. I haven’t stopped since.

If you aren’t sure where to start, I’d suggest journaling, writing prompts, or reading through and reworking old product ( which is partly what I did).

[Judy]

Start reading again. You can journal or take notes when you get an inciting idea. Just select a scene you'd like to write and start there, knowing you can incorporate it later into a full story. Check out some books about writing, depending upon the genre you prefer to write about. I like Steven Kings's book: "On Writing," and Debra Dixon's: "GMC-Goal, Motivation Conflict." Best of luck!

[Milton]

There is no HOW. Just sit down and start writing. Write about anything just to oil the gears. Then, pick a topic and write about it just for practice. Finally, decide on a project that you want to write about and begin planning what to write and where you need to go to seek the information you need to make it real.