Picking the Pen Back Up: An Introduction

So, here we are. I actually have to write something. I have to open Word and come up with something worth reading for the first time in a year and a half. Truthfully, it’s a bit scary. It feels a little like starting over.

This isn’t my first time taking a break from writing, but this has been the longest consecutive break. I mean, I write all day as a digital content writer. But I don’t write this stuff. The personal goods. The part of writing that’s like the warm inside of a piece of fresh French bread. And I’m left with the question of how I get back there. How can I bring myself back to the kind of writing that makes me feel like I matter?

I’ve always had a little love affair with the written word. Exploring my creative side with stories and putting them down on the page in some small way made them real. It wasn’t until I started writing about my experience as a childhood cancer survivor that I learned that words could hold immense weight, too. They could lift it from my shoulder, even if just a little.

But life moves on, and I realized the more time I spent writing for work, the less I wrote for myself, and anyone else out there willing to spend a token of their time on my words. I had been filling my lungs with warm desert air and trading a passion for a paycheck. I know I’m not the only person that has let their passion slip to the wayside, way to the side. So, where do we start?

We just have to pick the pen back up and start somewhere. For me, that place is here.

Picking the pen back up means starting over. There are a couple of ways you can do this and it’s up to you to choose where to start. But the good news is that there are no wrong places to start again. Just start fucking writing.

Revisit an Old Piece

The truth is, you’ll have different opinions and notes every time you revisit previous work. Which makes it the perfect place to pick your pen back up. Especially if you’re unsure of where to start again. Your old pages can be a beautiful bounty of inspiration and a resurgence for your love of the craft. Pick a piece that you had fun with, whether it felt finished or not. Having fun with your writing is a great way to get back into the flow and make it a part of your daily or weekly routine.

Read and Respond

It’s truly amazing how much inspiration can come from the pages of masters. I can’t tell you how many times I have read an exceptionally well-written passage by Vivian Gornick, and all of a sudden I have the urge to write something that emulates her stunning prose. The insights Gornick has on the written craft are like a crash course on writing to the human condition. Chef’s kiss. But that’s enough fan-girling. If literary prose just isn’t your style, that’s totally fine! You can pick up anything that you enjoy reading. The trick is to make yourself write a response to what you read. Or, make yourself write a copycat piece emulating that author’s style without copying their work.

Make Time for Brainstorming

Just because those first two suggestions work wonders for me, doesn’t necessarily mean they will work for you. Sometimes getting the urge to create something new is the most forthcoming. Follow that urge. Whatever might be on your mind, brainstorm the shit out of it. Dedicate some time to exploring all of those ideas and wherever they might lead you. And remember that it’s still a win even if you don’t have a fully formed essay, article, or poem by the end of it.

Practice Stream of Consciousness Writing

Stream-of-consciousness writing is all about exploring whatever is going on inside that dome of yours. It’s actually very similar to brainstorming in that it can help you flesh out certain ideas. But more so, this style of writing can really help you declutter your mind. Whatever has been distracting you from writing gets the spotlight here. Honestly, don’t be afraid to write whatever the fuck you want. No one has to read it if you don’t want them to. And at the end, you picked the pen back up.

It might start out rocky, and sometimes you might say something great. But it all starts with taking a leap somewhere.