6 Ways to Get Back Into Writing Your Manuscript After a Break | Advice from a Book Editor in the UK
- Chelsea ✨
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Professional book editor in the UK gives advice on how to get back into writing your manuscript after taking a break, no matter the length!
I'm sad to say that it's almost half way through the year (May 2026) and I haven't written a single word of my manuscript so far. The last time I opened my fantasy tale was about eight months go (September 2025), and it breaks my heart to realise that. 😔
But sometimes, well... quite often, writing has to take a backseat due to life getting in the way, stressors and motivation issues that mean you don't want to write, and other commitments that take priority, which leads me onto my first piece of advice for getting back into writing your manuscript. 👇
Try to make writing a priority
This might be easier said than done if you have a super bus schedule or other important commitments that can't be shifted, but if you're like me and chose to prioritise other things for a while - fitness, physical & mental health, my business, and my relationship - then it's important that you make a point of prioritising your manuscript.
There's no point telling yourself that you want to resume writing your novel again, always daydreaming about it, yet never prioritising it (if you can), so definitely move writing time higher up your daily or weekly to-do list!
And yes, I need to take my own advice here! 😅
Get used to sacrificing other activities for a while
You might wonder how on earth you're supposed to prioritise writing when you have other activities that you want to do. And I don't mean the really essential things that must be done, like work, chores around the home, looking after yourself, family time, social occasions and important commitments. I mean the more trivial things that can be swapped for a writing session. ✍️
Maybe a few times a week, you could prioritise your manuscript by sacrificing other hobbies you have (because writing is your hobby too), or perhaps you could write instead of scrolling on your phone, watching another episode, or reading another chapter.
I'm guilty of all of those things, especially scrolling, so if I were to take my own advice, I'd write my fantasy book rather than doomscrolling or snoozing my alarm in the morning; which leads me onto my next tip... 👇
Consider waking up earlier or staying up later
Because I'm more of a night owl and my creativity seems to come alive after dark, I'm more likely to stay up after my partner has gone to bed and write then, but if you're more of a morning person, that will work too!
It might take a while to get into the routine at first; for example, if you usually read before bed, or get up and scroll on your phone in the morning with a coffee, but the more you force yourself (knowing it's for the best), the more you'll get used to it, and then the weirder it'll feel when you don't do it! 😃
You don't even need to write for a long time either. Just 20-30 minutes is enough to begin with, then if you want to continue when you're in the swing of it, you can.
Spend the session rereading the last few chapters or scenes of your manuscript
You might follow these steps - making writing a priority, sacrificing other activities (especially doomscrolling), and setting aside time to write in the morning or evening, but once you've actually sat down to do it after a break, you're likely to stare at the blank page and think, "Now what?" Then after a while of writing nothing, or a few sentences that don't really work, you'll feel like quitting and take an even longer break than before! 🤯
As a way of preventing this cycle, definitely spend the first writing session, or at least the beginning of it, rereading the last few chapters or scenes of your manuscript. That way, you'll know what's going on in your story and you can get a clear feel for it again rather than trying to go on memory.
Even if you do remember where you left off from last time, it's still a good idea to reread your previous scenes because it'll give you a sense of the mood & tone, atmosphere, character emotions, and where your tale is headed. 🙂↕️
After you've done that step...
Plan your next scene or chapter
Even if you've already written a plan or summary, you'll thank yourself for bullet-pointing how you want the next scene to go. Because then, you're not left scratching your head and staring gormlessly without writing. 🤔
And your previous plan might be quite lengthy, written in full sentences, more like a synopsis, which can feel overwhelming if you're returning to your manuscript after a break. Whereas, if you simply just single out your next scene and write 3-4 bullet points, using that for reference can feel a lot simpler, then you can build on the details by referring to your previous, more in-depth plan.
Write for a realistic length of time
Although lots of writers like to boast about writing all afternoon, or writing X thousand words because they wrote non-stop for 3 hours, that's not always realistic if you're resuming your manuscript after time away from it. And even if you can manage that in your first couple of sessions, it's not sustainable long-term.
So, instead of feeling pressured to write for forever, just set a timer for 30 minutes, even 20, then if you feel you can do more, you can. There's just no point putting any amount of pressure on yourself, otherwise returning to your novel will feel even more of an uphill climb than it already does. 😅
Anyway, I hope you found this post helpful and can use these tips to finally get back into writing your manuscript, and hopefully finishing it soon!
I'm going to take my own advice and start rewriting mine - wish me luck! 😊
ABOUT CHELSEA
Hey! I'm Chelsea and I'm a professional book editor at Stand Corrected Editing, my editorial business in the UK. If you would like me to edit your manuscript, please get in touch!
With my book editing services and packages, I hope to spread my knowledge and expertise on how to make your novel a success, and be a mentor to others who long to pursue a career as an author!
