As far as writing goes, summer is the toughest time of year for me. The kids and I pack up and visit family for two months straight. We
always have a great time and the memories will last forever, but I have to turn
my back on my characters and the worlds they live in.
Why?
1. Because my office is where I write best. I control all
the distractions.
2. While gorgeous locations can inspire my writing, I'm
more inspired to go out and enjoy it. It's hard for me to send my kids out on adventures
without tagging along- especially if said adventures call for swimming in a
creek, 4-wheelers, or horses.
3. Non-writers don't understand the writing process. I
can't write or edit and carry on a conversation (or watch a movie) at the same
time. And it's kind of rude for me to try when I'm the guest. ;-)
4. I'm a binge writer. I like to be fully submerged for many,
many hours at time--not in and out every 10 minutes with half an idea.
5. Lack of internet. I know this should be a plus, but without
internet, I'm more likely to walk away from the computer when I need a moment,
which of course leads to a full day of activity. With internet, I can check
email or chat with a friend for a few minutes, then get back to work. That
said, I do have some limited access, with bandwidth restrictions, but the
nearest town (if I want full access) is 25 miles away.
If I lived there permanently, I'd have to adjust my writing
habits for sure. But summer is temporary, my kids will be grown soon, and I
have to weigh what's more important. I'm grateful for the opportunity to offer such amazing experiences for my kids to grow on.
If you have kids that are out of school for the summer,
how does your writing compete?
7 comments:
My writing space is in a high traffic area. I'll put on the headphones, turn on some music, and stick up my "Don't Poke The Bear" sign over my desk. It works pretty well.
I can focus with my kids in the room (until they start pestering each other), but I often get that "what's going on" parental feeling when everything is too quiet. So I don't mind a TV running in the background. Can't do music though :-)
Love the "Don't Poke The Bear" sign :-)
I'm with you -- I want to enjoy all the fun adventures with my kids while I can. Because of that, I have summer writing hours, which are unfortunately between 5-7 am. This sounds bad, but I'm actually productive because the time is so limited and I have to make it count.
I get up early and write before my daughter wakes. Everything is quiet. Even the dog doesn't pester me. I love it. -RB Austin
I'm with both of you on mornings! It's my most productive time of day. :-)
Summer has always been a writing wasteland for me. I vow to do better this year though!
I love the summer because that's when I get the most writing done. I get up early, before my teenagers and since I'm a teacher, I don't have to stop and get ready for work because there's no school. It's bliss!
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