My best motivation comes from writing during the cold seasons. It hasn’t helped that since the beginning of July, it’s been close to 90 and above nearly everyday here in Portland.
And as mid-August roles on by and September peeks it’s ahead around the corner, I’m looking forward to the colder fall and winter seasons.
Since I’m about to bid adieu to the long, hot days of summer, I’d like to tell you my five biggest complaints about writing during the summertime –
1) The laptop heats up like a fireplace whenever I use it.
The fact that I don’t have air conditioning at home (can’t afford it) makes my laptop the enemy in the summertime. The ideal is that I trek to the local Starbucks/bookstore/library to borrow their air conditioning, but that isn’t always possible (or all that fun).
2) That feeling of restlessness doesn’t go away even though I no longer have summers off.
I absolutely hated having all that time off during the summer as a kid, but now as an adult I wish I had those days back. Even now, I tend to be more restless during the summer. Although that DOES lead me towards writing new stories (I have a wonderful collection of short stories written out because of that), it doesn’t inspire me to settle and edit (all of those stories are still handwritten).
3) Things just seem scarier in the winter than the summer.
Blame my enjoyment of the dark and cold winter days, but it’s tough to get into the mood of horror and other paranormal stories when it’s a glorious sunshining day with kids laughing and playing outside and conversations of barbecues and picnics all around.
4) Winter allows me to slow down and become introspective (or so confirms Psychology Today).
I’m sort of agreeing with the logic that I found on Psychology Today about winter time and it’s affects on creativity (especially for “winter people” like me). For me, there aren’t too many “winter blues” to deal with, but the burrowing feeling of hibernation and wanting to shut the world away.
Do you like writing during the summer? Or does the restless, stifling heat get to you after a while? What season is your best writing self?
I'm with you on this list.
#1: YES! My computer pants like an overweight dog in the summer time, and I HAVE air conditioning. One thing I've found that works for me, if you can buy a cheap USB powers electric fan, they're usually palm sized, and are perfect for added cooling on the computer. I aim mine directly onto my keyboard and so care it seems to be saving my poor laptop.
#2: Longer daylight hours messes with us for sure. Here in Japan temperatures are soaring past 35 and the humidity is through the roof, so midday walks are impossible. I try to beat restlessness with ten minute muscle workouts in between every hour of writing.
#3: I don't have this notion so much, though it does baffle me that it's easier for me to write my desert-set WIP in the winter than it is in the summer. Weird.
#4: Yes, I love that about winter. When the sun is shining outside in the summer there's such an urge to get out and do stuff, but in the colder, darker days of winter, sitting inside and spending hours typing away at the computer suddenly doesn't seem so bad.
Good luck with the last few weeks of heat. I'm looking forward to the cooler days of autumn myself. 🙂
Winter does lend itself quite well to introspection, I think, ideal for writing.
well you've hit the nail on the mark and sunshine and indoors don't really work together for me. Well done again. Besides nothing better than a blanket, warm tea and snow outside to make me write.