I seem to have misplaced my creative self. (Oh sure, I could tell you a pizza joke, but that’d be too cheesy.) And this is certainly a road less traveled for me.
Four months ago on a daily journey at work, I accidentally starved my brain, then my muscles, and passed out. After two meetings between my head and the concrete floor, I just haven’t been myself. I believe that’s the main reason for my slow-boat-to-China situation.
And it’s time for a course correction.
What steps am I taking to merge onto the right road?
Engage imagination. I’m forcing myself to craft silly rhymes and create a first line from shadows on the sidewalk
Set goals! I set times to write, to read, to rest, to imagine. Yep, an actual schedule to engage my imagination.
Make small(er) goals To get from the ground floor to the top of a thirty-story building, I can’t simply leap. I must take one flight of stairs at a time.
In an article from https://www.masterclass.com the following caught my eye.
…. The good news is it’s never too late to get back to the craft and start writing again. Yet after a long break, the old writing skills are unlikely to come back in a single day. Reclaiming your past writing skills may take a bit of effort.
The next suggestion is from Masterclass.com, and me.
Start Reading!
Read a lot. As I alluded to above, my reading has gone way downhill. So, I didn’t get 10 books at once. I got one. One at a time. I’ve learned not to overwhelm myself.
Suggested books that helped me love reading again:
The Fowl Twins Get What They Deserve by Eoin Colfer
The Wind Knows Everything by Amy Harmon
Legion by Brandon Sanderson
Join a great book club.
Below is from: https://writersedit.com/fiction-writing/8-tips-for-getting-back-into-writing-after-a-long-hiatus/
“When I fall into a creative slump, one of the first habits to go is my nightly reading. It’s a subtle warning that often goes unnoticed for days (or even weeks…) before I realise something is not quite right.”
“Reading is fundamental. Not just for writers, but for success in general. Many noteworthy and successful people are known to be avid readers.”
Join a great writing group. A serious troupe that sends great daily prompts, as well as sound writing tips, and contest information.
The following suggestions to start writing again are from https://www.masterclass.com
- Make a schedule to establish writing habits. Any published author will tell you that the secret to becoming a better writer is getting into a routine. (I suggest, until you’re back in the full swing of things, limit your time to five-15-fifteen minutes.)
- Assign yourself creative writing exercises.
- Start a journal…
- Get ideas from real life.
- Comb through old writing projects.
- Get ideas in unorthodox ways. If you’re still short on ideas, try random idea generation to get yourself going. For instance, pick up a great book you admire and start the first draft of your novel with the same first word. Or start your draft with a totally random word and then write a first line that puts that word in context. Try freewriting without an outline.
- Brush up your creative work as a content writer.
The most important question to me is, how do I fall in love with writing again?
Speak with a writing coach.
I love the following suggestions from https://thewritepractice.com/how-to-get-back-into-writing/
- Let Go of the Guilt
Mentally beating up yourself with the ‘should’ stick doesn’t help the situation. Thoughts like:
- You should be further along with your story.
- You shouldn’t have fallen off the writing wagon.
- You should be more disciplined… less lazy, better organized, etc.
If this is you, stop it right now. Quit because guilt is counterproductive to your writing, and to your life. Besides, harassing your muse is another form of procrastination.
Write for writing’s sake. The sobering reality is that most story ideas will not be published, much less end up on a bestseller list. So rather than invest a lot of time triangulating your writing for commercial appeal, be true to yourself. Write about what excites you, give it a strong point of view, and invest in the art of writing fiction for no other reason than that you love it.
The title/main image came from Coffee Geek Drinks.
Love this!
Thank you, Sarah!