Jump Starting Your Writing After A Break

The other day I was chatting with a friend whom I hadn't seen in awhile.  We had the usual catch up. Work, kids, vacation.  Then the dreaded question "so, how's your writing coming along?" I stumbled through it as usual.  Have a few ideas on the go, the kid (just turned 9 months Saturday) takes up a lot of time.  We meandered onto other topics and had a grand old time. 

Truth be told though, aside from a few premises and a page here and there, I've pretty much been on hiatus since I was three months pregnant.  Life, just got in the way. 

So now, the kid's a bit older, life's more stable and I'm itching to get back into writing.  Only problem is I'm rusty. The noggin just hasn't been exercised in that way in awhile and I'm in desperate need of a recharge.

So where to start? I've got a few ideas I'm noodling on and the manuscript I left part way through in early 2014.  I'm like a deer in headlights.  

Just write. Right? That seems the logical starting point.  Getting those words on the page is half the battle. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who just needs a bit more.  I need a little inspiration. 

The first thing I did was check meetup.com to see if there were writing groups in the hood.  I'm new to San Diego, so this was a great way to find some kindred spirits.  I signed up for one called "Shut Up And Write". With a lack of material, I'm not ready for critiques so this is the perfect way to be in the same room with other writers, no distractions and just write. 

The second thing I did was check on some refresher courses.  Something to remind me of what baby brain forgot.  I was lucky to find San Diego Writers, Ink. A great resource for our community with great workshops that have just enough to push me along. 

Finally, I reached out to my writing buddies and they are awesome.  Hopefully, we'll be reviewing each other's writing again soon!

So have you taken a break from your writing?  How did you jump start your writing?