So, the holidays have now officially come to an end. Whether you’re returning to work after a generous break or preparing to get back to school soon, there’s no denying that it’s time to get down to business once again. That goes for writing as well. I’m the first to admit that I let my writing fall by the wayside during this holiday break. Although I could have used this time off to make progress on my writing, I chose instead to watch Netflix, play video games, and read books. Instead of feeling guilty about these holiday pursuits, I’m choosing to acknowledge them, admit that I’ve been slacking off on writing, and move forward into a fresh start as 2016 begins.
When you’ve been away from your writing project for a while, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Depending on your writing style, you may want to ease in slowly or dive right back in. If you’re easing in slowly, try rereading some of what you wrote before your break or hiatus. Allow yourself time to become familiar with your story again. Once you feel that you’re back in the swing of things and you’re back in the mindset for your project, get writing! If you want to dive right in, things are a bit easier. Just start writing!
Although being away from your writing can sometimes cause you to lose interest in the story you were working on, it can also provide you with much-needed distance from your work. When you return, you may have a new perspective that can help you continue writing in a newer and possibly better way.
As this new year begins, I hope you’ll look forward with optimism and begin a new writing year strongly. Best of luck to everyone with writing goals or resolutions this year and, as always, happy writing!
— Jet Fuel Blog Editor, Mary Egan
