: Writing Style Changed After the death of my cousin I have stopped writing for quite some time. However the stories ideas would persist in my mind. So I decided to try and write again, but

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Taking a break is a good idea, looking out for signs of depression is another, but if you want to write, try writing in a genre for which you normally have no interest, or for which you even have disdain. The purpose of this would be to remove the pressure of your own expectations. You can practice and noodle around knee-deep in tropes and adverbs and nobody will care.

Sorry if this is a bit flippant or pop-psych but you say you're trying to rewrite an old story. If you were a character in somebody else's, it would be obvious to the reader that you're trying to turn back the clock and relive happier times. I'm sure the truth is more complicated, but for certain you are a different person now, so try something different.

I don't normally like the horror genre but I've dabbled with writing it just when those Lovecraftian adverbs kept rising to the fore. Try writing something depressing. See how dark you can go. One of my favourite authors, Michael Marshall, writes thrillers that turn so bleak I want to find his phone number and ask if he's okay. But black humour breaks through in his text so maybe he gets some release through that process.

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