It's sad to think that the last bit of creative writing I did was conducted, besides some roleplaying here and there, almost a year ago. Instead, my time has been consumed by academic writing and journalism through school. I've tried several times - sat myself down, no distractions, for a couple of hours even - but I just can't get anything on paper. If I have to prove a thesis, I'm fine, but otherwise I'm a lame ox. Time constraints don't help either; I've attempted to write for the weekly contests, but it feels wrong. I was wondering if anybody had any tips on how to get going again?
Have you tried reading some new, interesting books? One day, just go through a library shelf, pick a book and if the blurb sounds interesting, read it. You never know what inspiration you might get from a random book (or it may even become your favourite book, you never know). You could do this with movies or even games too, literally anything can give you inspiration. I also suggest not trying to force it too much, as the best inspiration to write comes randomly. Maybe for now, relax and take it easy and you'll most likely get inspired to write again. I hope that helped
I personally wouldn't wait for inspiration. If you're like a lot of people (and it sounds like you are since you haven't written in a long time) inspiration comes sporadically. What you want to do is get into the habit of writing on a daily basis, even when you don't feel up to it. Try getting yourself into a routine. Pick a set time every day to write and stick to it. It doesn't have to be a long time at first, maybe only ten or fifteen minutes. Or set a word goal instead of a time goal, but make it small so you don't overwhelm yourself. Even a few hundred words will do. And then? Just write. It might not be perfect, it might not even be something you can use in the edited version of your story, but it doesn't matter. The important thing is you're writing and you're pushing forward in the story. Once you're disciplined enough to do it on a daily basis, it'll become routine and easier to handle.
