I’ve let writing slip lately. I went down with a respiratory infection in early January and I’m just now starting to feel normal. I’ve seen several deadlines whoosh past my eyes, too fast to catch. The company I work my day job for is throwing a million challenges a day at me. It’s hard to keep something up—even something you love—under pressure.
But nothing is irreparable. Has early 2013 seen you slip off the writing wagon? If so, climb back on with me. We can do it.
1. Go Slowly.
If you’re up against a lot of obstacles, you probably can’t jump into a three thousand word a day total. Remember the small targets and the big victories when you first started writing. From small acorns big trees grow. From small efforts, novels grow.
2. Recover what you can.
Missed a deadline? Still putting editors off? Own up. Maybe you really have lost the opportunity to participate in this. Maybe not. Be honest, explain that your life has taken an unexpected turn. Most people are understanding, if you are open.
3. Be Honest.
Is this the time to start again? If you’re dealing with an emotional time, if work is really intensive, maybe you do need to park writing for a while. You can come back to it, refreshed and ready when things work out.
We can all slip and life is very good at throwing obstacles in the way. But if it’s important, you can always find your way back.
Helen Dring is a fiction writer from Liverpool, England. She is studying for an MA in Creative Writing and is currently writing her first novel. She likes fairy tales, ghost stories and modern history.
