like writing a bike

first blog in 3 weeks.
and if you think that's a long time, then you should see the inch of dust on my writing files.

see, my blog isn't the only blank space i've been neglecting. i have more than a few empty pages at the end of various manuscripts waiting to be filled.

as much as i advocate taking breaks from writing, and as often as i scoff at the "Butt In Chair, Write Daily" method... i have to admit i pay a price for these long breaks.
for me, writing is not like riding a bike. i can't just get back in the seat and rely on muscle memory to keep me balanced and start spinning my wheels.
to get back into the rhythm of writing, i have to strap on some mental training wheels and remind myself how to make time for it, how to prioritize it, how to get lost in it.

i start by tuning out the internet. skip over twitter conversations about the next hot trend or genre - because realizing you are not writing to that trend can be paralyzing. delete the "daily deals" email from PM unread - because seeing that someone just sold something very similar to what you're writing can be paralyzing. ignore forum threads about writing rules - because realizing you are breaking those rules can be paralyzing.

after that, it's just a matter of thawing out the brain and going back to the beginning, before i knew all the "rules" or knew anything about sales and marketing or internet socializing - back to that place i was in before i took the training wheels off, and everything got a little scary.

so if the blog is a bit sparse this month, that's where i'll be - getting back on my bike and remembering how to ride.