Bad Habits Can Come Back

I haven't done a lot of fictional prose writing for some time. I've mostly been doing short nonfiction (Cheff Salad) or I have been working on projects with a visual component (comics, children's stories). I haven't been practicing telling a whole story with only words.

Coming back into it, I realize that so many of my bad habits have returned. I am getting fussy with my wording. I am trying to write a near-perfect first draft. I am spending so much time planning that I feel like I am not making enough progress. And, in turn, that is sapping my energy to write continuously for extended periods of time.

It is a sobering reminder that if you don't use it, you will lose it. Bad habits can come back. If you aren't careful, something you worked very hard to do may be lost and something you worked very hard to lose may come back.

The one positive side to it is that you will be aware of it. You will also have the knowledge and experience of breaking your bad habits once already. Rebreaking bad habits is far easier to do.

Obviously, the best option is to simply keep your chops up and not let yourself get rusty. But, if you do find yourself out of practice, don't let it get you down. Just remember how you used to be and how you got there and go through those steps to get your process back. I promise it won't be that bad (as long as you promise to try).