Have you ever been on an extended hiatus? How did you get out of it?
I used to write every day. For years, it was all I wanted to do. It’s kinda amazing how prolific I was. I wrote nonstop. I published one book and was getting several others ready. I maintained my own website. Did all my graphics. I took up drawing again and got pretty good. I was ready to start commissioning my art. I did market research and was getting ready to start a marketing campaign. I did everything! I had solid plans and goals. I invested money in this.
How/why did I stop?
But writing comes with sitting and that became impossible for me due to back issues (it turned out I had a torn disc). I had a surgery and a bunch of procedures. On top of it, I have foot issues too so I can’t stand for long. I got better a bit but nothing is the same and I’ll be in pain for the rest of my life it seems. I can’t do what I used to.
It’s amazing how important sitting was to my workflow. I couldn’t get back in my groove without my usual routine.
Then my husband’s cancer happened. He just had a major surgery which rendered him disabled. I had to be his nurse, take care of the house and our son and cats on my own and still work full time on top of all that. Forget even worrying about my own health or physical limitations.
It was too much.
I had to stop everything. No social media. No TV. No art. No writing. No… me…
…
…
…
But now, things are slowly calming down. I feel like I could try to get back what I lost if at least 15 minutes/a day at a time.
My stories still live inside me and are asking to get finished. But I’m struggling. I can’t seem to get back the drive I used to have.
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It’s amazing how things that seem inconsequential like sitting can really help. One thing sitting does it provides a sense of groundedness and stability. And when we write we go to all these places or even just the process of writing separate from that can be a lot and the groundedness and stability from sitting help to give that sense of safety which allows us to soar.
Since issue is your back sitting on the floor and not on a chair one is really good for your back, helps with back pain issues, and you still get to sit
If you have to stand another way of looking at it is standing or any such change really revealed an obstacle you probably were dealing with as a writer before but could ignore while sitting but now its coming full force. It can be various things but sometimes when sitting it forces are bodies to channel everything on the page. But when standing now has choice to channel it elsewhere not just on page. So it may be that either having choice when it was automatic before is a struggle or finding that you automatically use physical instead of writing is hard and hard to reroute. The thing is when standing easier to feel more in the body. So it may also be a shift from being used to have everything easy mentally to now physically. You can try and observe like when it’s occurring physically is your instinct to distract yourself etc and if so why
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I also struggle with back issues, though it’s probably not as bad as it ended up being for you…I had surgery seven years ago, and I still get flare-ups now and then, but I also don’t take care too well of myself…and I think I need a better desk set-up.
So, if you are able to invest in a desk set-up, maybe that will help. An ergonomic chair, an adjustable desk so you can go from sitting to standing if you need. A foot rest.
During my last flare-up, I surprised myself at being able to write while lying on my back on the sofa, with the laptop on my legs. Though to be honest, that didn’t feel too good for my neck. I know of people who do most of their writing on their phones. Maybe that’s something you can try?
I’ve had periods of kinda writer’s block, I guess, where I didn’t really write for a while. What usually helps is either reading, or watching movies/TV which can serve as inspiration for the current ideas floating around my head. Then I end up using my phone a lot to jot down ideas as they come to me. If sitting is difficult, then maybe writing by hand in a notebook might not be an option for you… but it has in the past helped me organise my thoughts and let them flow on paper.
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You might be onto something here. I haven’t thought about it this way.
In essence, to really get in the groove, I need to be able to not think of myself, which has now become impossible. I have to constantly check myself to see if I can continue whatever I’m doing or if I have to get up and walk it off. It completely ruins any “zone" I could be in.
Oh, no. Sitting on the floor is not good for me. It puts too much pressure on my back. Really, the only ideal position for me is flat on my back but that’s not good for writing 
and overall, not good to be laying down too much either.
So I’m still not sure how to do this. I need to find a new way.
I have been picking up my phone and a sentence here or there but it’s too chaotic. It feels like a constant game of revisions. It’s just not possible to see the big picture on a phone. I need a larger screen.
To make matters worse, my laptop died just the other day. It was old so I guess it’s not surprising but of course it had to happen now when I want to get back into it and can’t afford to replace it.
Maybe I should try a paper and pen after all.
Or maybe I should abuse the work printer, print all my stuff out and revise it there.
That might be the most doable. The old fashioned laptop.
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I feel you…I tried offline Google Docs while I was traveling and it wasn’t great. I have much better luck jotting down random lines and scenes in the notes app, that I then have to order in a Word doc.
I will always support work printer abuse lol. If pen and paper works for you that’s great! Any step forward is a win 
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It might be that after you’ve been sitting for a certain period of time you find it easier to disassociate while still having coordination to be able to write.
if awareness of your body makes it hard for you to write you may have emotional blocks or blocks around emotions which you may have used dissociation to deal with. And you may be finding that since standing while typing requires more coordination its harder to do that
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