Comments on: Top Ten Ways to Enjoy a More Productive & Writerly Summer

By: Denise

Denise — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 18:48:46 +0000

good ideas

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 14:42:10 +0000

I am an especially huge fan of that news diet! I can't write with all that fear and vitriol coming at me all the time. I pretty much read about, instead of listen to, the issues during election years and turn off the news from May through the November election.

By: Lisa Norman

Lisa Norman — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 22:14:17 +0000

This summer I took a trip and visited the homes of some authors that I love. I enjoyed walking through the spaces that they had walked and thinking about what their lives were like. This left me reinvigorated.

By: Kris Maze

Kris Maze — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 14:15:48 +0000

In reply to Hannah Ruth.

Hi Hannah,

I hear you as far as the summer can typically be a more productive time. As I head back into the classroom myself--today-- I can see myself being more productive. Some people have a tendency to use their time more efficiently the less they have of it. It is the case for me.

It was also good for me to stop and smell-the-Dahlias since school, and the lack of time and energy is on the horizon. Building up those good memories and relaxing moments can bring me more energy to spend on my students and family. Writing and getting the last 25% of my manuscript edited will be a fun way to continue writing into the fall.

Hopefully your writing projects take off as well. Keep writing!
Kris

By: Kris Maze

Kris Maze — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 14:11:07 +0000

In reply to Dale Ivan Smith. Woot, woot for libraries and librarians! They have been peddling knowledge quietly since the first publications. Their work is key for making a literate society function. Thank you. Yep. The news can rob us of joy, especially when they start churning out the same story with a slightly new angle time and time and time again. Don't get me wrong, it is extremely important to pay attention to what is happening on a domestic and international level. Our smallest decisions as everyday citizens can have a slight impact, even if it is only on our own outlook. I appreciate your comment and am glad you read our posts here at WITS, Kris

By: Kris Maze

Kris Maze — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 14:04:24 +0000

In reply to Ellen Krajewski.

Hi Ellen,

I love it!
Taking in the summer moments and transferring them to the page is one way to savor the good things all around us. First person POV, can be tricky, and paying attention to details in our surroundings is a perfect way to add the spice to our manuscripts.

Thanks for the suggestion!
Kris

By: Kris Maze

Kris Maze — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 14:02:22 +0000

In reply to V.M. Sang. Hi V.M. I'm sorry you have had a hard time writing. It's also important to not push yourself too hard when you are not ready to write. Weather can influence us as well. One thing I enjoy when I'm not into the long rainy season we get here in the Pacific Northwest is to take a hot yoga class. I'll go early and lay there - imagining I'm on a beach. :) It's one way the imagination can help. Hang in there and get back into your writing groove soon! See you around WITS. Kris

By: Hannah Ruth

Hannah Ruth — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 13:29:21 +0000

Funnily enough, because I'm still on a school schedule, summers tend to be my most productive times! These tips will be helpful still, though, as I head into the school year... when it will be much harder to find time and focus to write. 😀

By: Dale Ivan Smith

Dale Ivan Smith — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 14:38:02 +0000

Great advice, Kris! I'm compulsive about my news consumption and really need to regulate it. I love the idea of "just writing"--after all, that's the one thing we have any real control over. Reading is vital, too. As a retired librarian, I appreciate the shout-out to libraries. They can be very inspirational, along with of course being a source of books and information.

By: Ellen Krajewski

Ellen Krajewski — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 12:17:52 +0000

This is a great list. I've been working on capturing the feeling of the perfect summer day in my writing. That heavenly feeling that must be close to universal can be challenging to convey in the written word, especially in First Person POV. Writing in the moment has been helpful in capturing the little things happening, such bird song and other sounds, the look of the clouds, the feel of the grass on my barefeet.