Falling back into a writing pattern!

It’s been a whole two weeks since the Afrobloggers Challenge ended. And I know this update is coming in much later but the Challenge was won by Elise over at Letters from this heart. Throughout the challenge she approached the topics in form of a short story series following Esaaba and her outlook on life. If you missed that series, I encourage you go read it. Really really good stuff there.

So after a month long challenge I decided to take some time off the blog. The prolonged absence is purely on me because I had planned on only doing a week-long break.

So here is how I intend to fall back into writing. Or what I constantly did during my self-induced break under the guise of ‘preparation’.

1. Think about writing. It has been said that it takes 21 days to build a habit. Can’t say how true that is, I’m still trying to quit my ice-chewing habit. But on odd days when ideas came to mind, I would think about it. And I think about it. How I’m never doing enough writing at any point in the day. Like when I spend all day watching YouTubers and that later translates into all week watching other YouTubers.

2. Read from your favourite writers…or just read. The rule of thumb of writing (so I heard but it makes sense) is to read twice as much as you write. I can see the benefits too, you get to see different writing styles and to get ideas too. Or because this is better – read for the enjoyment of it. This also helps to see what works and what doesn’t. One of the books I read in the break was ‘When You Read This’ by Mary Adkins and I liked the epistolary form of writing. The second book I’m reading in this form but I don’t think I have ventured into writing with that form.

3. Think about writing. Now that the writing arsenal is beefed up with writing styles and plot twists from other writers you start spiralling back to the original thought ‘I need to write’. During this break there was one book I read and I didn’t agree with the ending which gave me an idea of how to end a story if ever I chose to do that trope. And I thought about writing!

4. Do a little writing. I think there is mostly an aspect of writing in daily life so you can’t really escape it. And besides the journey to a full novel starts with a single sentence. Where you learn to enjoy the journey as well as the destination. That’s how you get back into a pattern; slowly by slowly.

Now I’m back to the usual pattern Wednesdays and Sunday posts! Hope you will drop by when you get the time.