Summertime Writing
Posted by Ana Aragon on 29 Jun 2008 | Tagged as: Chit Chat, Writing Life
With summer officially here, many authors are getting into the swing of vacation travels, conventions, and/or trying to find activities that will keep the young ones busy while you find your muse and continue to write.
For years, I looked forward to summer and its various and sundry, day-to-day activities like time at the community pool, play dates and visiting with friends. Anything and everything that would keep the kids safe and happy and me from pulling out my hair.
Not now, and not especially when I have a deadline looming in the horizon. So I mute my cell phone, close the internet browsers and pray that my muse will cooperate and give me those perfect words and phrases, riveting dialogue and the right touch of sensuality that will push my current WIP into the best book I’ve ever written.
A couple of questions, then. Is summertime writing different than other times? And, if so, how do you structure your days to make time for writing in the summer?
Ana
Ana Aragón
Sidelined by Love available at The Wild Rose Press
Strike Three-You’re Mine will be available this fall at The Wild Rose Press
Ana,
June 30th, 2008 at 11:54 amI do find summertime writing harder. The outdoors calls. There is more company. More work what with gardening, garden produce, lawns and flowers to care for. But I have deadlines that don’t take a holiday. I guess what works for me is thinking of it as a job. Some sort of regular hours as much as humanly possible. And of course, making sure I also enjoy summer as much as possible. It’s a hard balancing act.
Linda
Actually, I LOVE summertime writing. I sit out on the deck at night with the laptop in the dark and the words just come.
There’s no TV schedule to keep up with.
In the winter, it’s hard to type when your fingers are cold or you’re huddled under a blanket. Plus those winter blahs are tough to power through.
But summertime writing is so much easier for me.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:29 amIn the summer I actually get a little bit longer to write consistently because I don’t keep having to get up and down to pick up and drop off 4 kids. That makes me happy
July 1st, 2008 at 11:03 amLinda, your life sounds like mine! I love being out in my garden and, like you, have those deadlines climbing up my back! Pam, what a lovely picture! You’ll need to have hubby take a picture and post on your website…Kate–four kids! Yikes! I can’t imagine where you find the time to write! I had to wait until they were all driving before I could write.
July 1st, 2008 at 11:25 amI’m just the opposite - the end of September starts birthday/holiday season for me which doesn’t end until February. I actually have more time to write in the summer. Isn’t it funny how it differs for people?
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:27 am