How to Get Back to Writing Your YA Novel (and Be Creative Again)

As a creator, you’re probably familiar with the frustrations of writing. This scenario has likely happened to you already: you clear your schedule and make yourself a big cup of coffee. You sit at your desk and open up a document. You poise your fingers over the keyboard, ready to type, and…nothing. You draw a blank. You have no inspiration, no ideas, and no clues. How to get back to writing your YA novel?

I’ve been there. Too often, I’ve fallen into a rut where it’s seemingly impossible to write. This stumbling block has often dragged on for weeks or even months. If you’ve gone through this too, there are four key lessons you need to know to find your creativity again.

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Table of Contents

How to Get Back to Writing Your YA Novel

1. Take it slow

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when getting back into writing your YA novel is rushing.

You may have a deadline or word count you need to meet. Or you may think you can just jump into a huge writing project. But this is a good way to get stuck. That is because when you rush, you are not able to get clarity of ideas, and therefore properly focus on your writing. Consequently, this can hinder your productivity and potentially even compromise your well-being.

Take your time to develop your young adult book idea. Start small with a short story or poem instead of a novel or long book series. This way, you won’t be overwhelmed. Instead, you will open your mind to new ideas, and have space to flesh them out. The main objective is to go slowly with the process.

2. Don’t beat yourself up

You might be feeling upset that you no longer write your young adult fantasy novels how you used to or that you don’t have the creativity to continue. Your writing may no longer be on the level that you wish it was. If this is the case, you are not alone.

Here’s an uncomfortable fact you need to know: no matter where you’re at, your writing isn’t going to start out great. First drafts aren’t pretty and second drafts are only a little better. Plus, we all go through writing life cycles, and even the most experienced YA authors have ups and downs. So don’t panic!

All the same, don’t let that stop you. Just focus on having fun with your writing or getting your message out there. The rest will come later.

3. Get inspiration from other writers

Back in high school, I was once part of a teen writing group at my library. Every month we would come together to share our most recent projects, then participate in a writing exercise.

Being part of the group was an amazing way to energize my creativity. Hearing other writers’ stories really motivated me and inspired me to get back to writing. Plus, doing the exercise allowed me to think outside the box.

If your library has one, consider joining a writing group. This way, you will not only connect with like-minded YA writers, but also exchange ideas and commiserate with writers of other genres and grow your network. That type of support will take you a long way on improving your craft and help you learn the ropes of the publishing industry–and if you are looking to self-publish, it will be crucial to show you what not to do when self-publishing your books.

4. Write what excites you

When you’re easing yourself back into writing your YA, it’s all too easy to quit. So it’s important to write only things you are excited about, so you can’t wait to get back to your laptop or pick up your pen and start writing.

I should hope you do this anyway. (I mean, who wants to write things they aren’t passionate about?) But it’s especially critical to do this when you’re trying to find motivation and creativity to write.

At this point, I imagine that you’ve immersed yourself in a lot of reading, right? What about those YA romance books in your book stack? What do you think of those dystopian novels on your bookshelf? What’s an idea that those readings brought up to you or that you’ve had on the back burner for a while? Now’s the time to pull it out and get started!

And if you need ideas, there are several articles out there to help you turn your story idea into a young adult novel. These are valuable resources to provide you with insights and get you started in a heartbeat.

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Final Thoughts on Getting Back to Writing

While writing is a talent many of us have, it’s also a skill. Great writing doesn’t happen overnight. It needs to be cultivated and practiced.

If you fall out of writing for a while, don’t panic or feel guilty. Take your time to incorporate these steps. Hopefully, they will help you to find your creativity and get back to writing your young adult novels with ease.