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Here's a very common writing problem that I don't see many people talking about.

How do you get back into your writing after some time away from it?

If you're working on a project longer than a very short story or a short blog post, you're going to need more than one writing session to complete a draft. If you're writing a novel, you might be writing it across hundreds of different sessions. 

This year, I'm aiming to write 250 words (or more) of fiction each day. You'd think that with daily writing sessions, it would be easy to pick up and keep going. But often, though I was writing away smoothly and easily the day before, I have no idea where I was about to go next.

You've probably had a similar experience. And if you write once or twice a week, or if you've taken an unintentional break between writing sessions, you might find it even harder to pick up where you left off. Maybe you left your characters mid-conversation and you've no idea what they were going to say next. Or perhaps you finished at a chapter break and you don't know what's going to happen now.

Here are a few things that can help with picking up the thread of your writing.

#1: Leave a "Note to Self"

One really easy way to pick up again is to spend an extra 30-60 seconds at the end of your writing session to leave a "note to self". 

When you're busy drafting, you probably do have an idea of where you're going next ... but if you don't write it down, you probably won't remember it.

I add these notes in italics in my manuscript, with things like Robin asks about the Beast or Next scene is where Alexis confronts Julia. It takes literally seconds, but it's enough to remind me where I was going next.

#2: Write a Few Bullet Points to Outline the Next Scene or Section

If you've got a tiny bit longer to spare, ideally at the end of a writing session, jot down some bullet points that outline your next scene (or, for non-fiction, the next section you're going to write).

You might already have a full outline, which we'll come to in a moment. But if that outline doesn't get down into the granualar detail of scenes/sections (or if you've changed your mind!) then it's really helpful to have just a few minutes to quickly outline the next small piece of your work.

#3: Have a Bigger-Picture Outline Covering Your Whole Novel/Book

I'm definitely more of a "pantser" than a "plotter" ... but I am finding it's increasingly helpful to have at least a rough outline to keep me on track. 

You don't have to go into loads of detail for a big-picture outline, but for fiction, it's useful to know the beginning, middle, and end of your story, and to have a sense of the major characters and conflicts along the way. 

With that outline in hand, you can quickly see what direction you need to be going in with your next scene or chapter. 

When it comes to non-fiction, you've likely got a chapter-by-chapter outline: this helps you see how each piece you're writing fits into the book as a whole.

#4: Try Not to Stop Your Session at the End of a Scene or Chapter

This might seem like a weird tip, but it's best not to finish a scene or chapter during your writing session. I know you'll have more of a sense of completeness if you do so, but it can make it hard to get back into writing the next time round.

Instead, either stop with some of the scene or chapter left to write ... or even better, finish it, then write the first paragraph or two of the next scene or chapter. 

This will make it a lot easier to sit down and begin during your next writing session.

If it always feels like a struggle to get going with your writing sessions, try one (or more) of the ideas above ... and see what a difference it makes.

📝 For more help with having a great writing session, take a look at Supercharge Your Writing Session.

It's the first of my Supercharge guides, and it's all about setting you up for a focused, productive, and enjoyable writing session (whether that's 15 minutes or 2 hours).

Supercharge Your Writing Session comes with several extras, too, including a writing routine printable, a writing session planner, and a "jump starts" sheet to help get you moving if you're stuck.