Starting is tough. Starting again after a break can be tougher.
Writing is a habit that is tough to get started. Once you do, it can be hard to maintain. Life gets in the way, family, friends, and our individual needs all compete for time at the keyboard. If you work, volunteer, or go to school, the time you have in a day is even harder to juggle. But it can be done, I have struggled. Quitting is not an option I’m willing to consider.
Life throws a variety of challenges at us. Good things like a promotion at work, an unexpected windfall, or finally doing something on our bucket list go hand in hand with losing a job, paying an unexpected expense, or finding out an item on the bucket list is now beyond reach (For example: You can’t go to a live Ozzy concert anymore). The same is true for our writing routine. I might get 3000 words on the page one day, but struggle to get 100 the next. That can be frustrating all by itself.
If your routine takes a hit, or you get sick, hurt, or have to change your schedule, it can be next to impossible to peck at the keys. I have made just about every excuse I could think of, or outright chose not to write more times than I can count. None of that helps get words on the page, and while that may not be the most important aspect of writing in the long run, it is far easier for me to polish what I’ve written than stare at a blank page. It is harder yet, to stare at a half-written story and not try to finish it.
I wish I had some easy advice to get you back on track.
I’ve read lots of articles about procrastination, writer’s block, and building a better routine. All of that is great, and reading it gave me a sense that I was working on the problem. The truth is, I am the problem. No amount of thinking, talking about, or reading about writing will ever replace the act itself. Writing is a passion for those of us who aspire to see our work out in the world. None of the tricks and strategies I read about helped me more than pushing myself to get my butt back in the chair and my fingers on the keys.
Ignore the things that distract you, all the pleas for your time, and get words on the page. Everything else you can deal with later. There is nothing easy about it if you are determined to make it work. But that is one of the reasons writing can be so rewarding. Carve out a block of time and get to it. No matter what you do, I hope you keep writing.