Writing through the Hazy Days of Summer

Summer will soon be upon many of us. For some, that means the regular schedules have eased a bit, there are fewer activities, school is out, and vacation brain has settled in. For a writer, this can come with a few challenges:

1. Spend the day at the beach or write
2. Take the kids to the park or write
3. Tackle spring cleaning because you were too busy before or write

Can you see how this leads to not being productive? 

It doesn't need to be that way. Here are three tips to keep you writing through the summer.

Get up Early

Ugh! I said it. Better to get the hard one out of the way first. I'm not a morning person. Let me stay up until 3 AM and sleep until 10 AM. I'll be happy. The problem is that by the end of the day, I'm dragging. Who wants to be creative when they are exhausted? 

Think about what time your family rises and get up an hour earlier. Brew your coffee or tea and spend the first hour writing. You'll be surprised how much you can accomplish.

Find a New Writing Spot

Writing from home is convenient. What often happens, however, is we take up our writing time with household chores or getting distracted by our children who aren't usually around in the middle of the day. 

Pick up your laptop or pen and paper and find a writing spot outside of your house for a few hours. We are lucky to have several local cafes here, but the library or a park would also be a great spot. 

Join a Writing Group

Our writing group has been an immeasurable help in encouraging me to write more regularly. Not only are we required to bring a writing sample each month, being around other writers is a huge source of motivation. For tips on how to find a local group, click here.

If you're still struggling, here are a few writing prompts to try:

• My dream vacation is...
• I became a writer because...
• My favorite thing about our city/town is...

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of Little Shepherd, A Christmas Kindness, Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving, and Amos Faces His Bully. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters. She also has a son who is married. Visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com and her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com