5 Tips for Summer Writing

I don't know about you but at this time of the year I find that sometimes writing can become slow and boring. In the winter it's so much easier to sit inside and write because I don't want to get out in the cold. Now it is so much easier to want to get out and about first thing in the morning. There is gardening to be done, places to visit, and, of course, vacation.  So  how can you keep your mind focused on writing?


This year I am trying several new ideas to keep myself focused, and I know they've worked at various times in the past.


1. Don't let that vacation stop your writing habit.  Yes, you might be travelling but why not use the time to take notes for research, or take pictures for inspiration you can use later. And don't stop writing. I often find myself at rest stops writing down conversations I hear at the table next to me or making a note of what I overheard someone say in the restroom. I can always use the information later.

2.  Try writing early in the morning. Those early morning hours can be a good time to get started. There's something very fresh about a summer morning as the dawn in breaking. It's warm out and plenty peaceful so why not get out and sit on the patio editing pages or writing some new chapters.


3. Take a library tour.  Right now one of the writers I know is making the rounds of all the local libraries just to get out of the house. She's finding some wonderful locations, and her tour is reminding me of all the great libraries we have in the area that I might want to spend some time visiting.


4. Go to a coffee shop. This is something I often do any way when I need to get some new perspective or just get out of the house. Last week I found myself editing in a restaurant one day, plotting at a Starbucks another day and creating character profiles while sitting on a patio at a hotel another while I was waiting for someone another day.


5. Get out and do research. Tomorrow I am planning on spending the day at a local history museum as I gather research on a story I want to work on next. Some of our smaller museums are only open in the summer and often there are special lectures or events that can make research more fun and less of a chore.


Don't let the summer get by without some writing work. There are plenty of ways to keep busy and focused even as you enjoy the delights of the summer season.