I'm curious to know how others did/do this. Life got in the way big time for me, around the time I was publishing the first volume of my current tale, to such an extent, I didn't realise how ill I was. I had many months of recovery, whilst still wrestling major life changes, so was just plain incapable, physically, mentally and emotionally, of carrying on, though I kept trying. Unfortunately, right when I thought I'd have some space to think, another part of my body grumbled, and left me exhausted. So, after well over 2 years of not getting on with my sequel, I quietly laid it aside, and began to accept I might no longer be capable.
Whilst virtually housebound, I began to hit online news, and articles. ( small, easily manageable bites of information.)
My physical rehabilitation took time, but went relatively smoothly. In the meantime, I'd discovered comments sections of said online news. I must admit, I got addicted.
And lo and behold, my brain slowly came back online, my wits sharpened, my internet research sharpened, and, I connected to all sorts of information and history I'd quite frankly forgotten or never knew in the first place. I've learned so much from those people, the eternally angry, the eternally optimistic, the downright dodgy, the full spectrum of political and ideological beliefs.
And now I have realised that I can write again. It's coming slowly, but its coming. I'm almost half way through a 1st draft.
Has anyone else had this sort of problem? what did you do?
I have ME/CFS and a son and daughter with Asperger's. I began to write a novel in 2005 and only finished last year. At one point I wrote nothing for three years. Each time I had a long break I reread everything from the beginning and changed anything which needed changing. Just keep reacquainting yourself with what you've already done, then carry on from there. Never give up.
If it makes you feel any better, I suspect you're far from being the only one in this type of situation.
I started a story in 2012, the third in a series. The following year, still struggling to recover from a business closure in the financial crisis a couple of years earlier, family issues resulted in an enforced house move and working at two jobs.
The consequent lack of writing time meant I did very little. That's when doubts begin to creep in, exacerbated by disappointing sales of the previous book. I'm sure you recognise the feelings - the story's not good enough, no-one'll want to read it, the writing's poor, etc, etc.
Eventually, I decided that unless I took drastic (for me) action, I'd probably never write again. So 18 months ago I signed up for an online writing course, thinking if I was forced to write it might give me a kick start. And it did work, for a while, though subsequently lack of time was still my enemy.
The current crisis, awful as it is, has given me the space I needed. 36K words in the last 4 weeks let me finish the first draft and I've now started re-writes.
I still think I can't write and probably always will - I'm the sort who's never happy with anything I've done. But getting to this point means I should end up with a completed MS for the third time.
Stick with it! :)