Does Summer Hurt or Help Writers?

As Summer quickly approaches I'm beginning to wonder how the season impacts the writing industry. Summer throws so many different variables at us. First, if you have school-age children they are now home, the weather many days is hard to ignore and there is always a good summertime event to be found. How do writers deal with this?

I've learned to try to incorporate Summer into my writing routine. Instead of staying glued to my table where my laptop lives I like to move outside to my patio. Here I can enjoy the weather and get my writing done. Some of my best articles and chapters have been conceived outside. And I know from speaking to other writing friends that many of them also love the great outdoors. One day I would even love to write at a lake house or beach house. To me that would be the ultimate relaxation!

For me though, Summer brings on a heavier workload. One of my freelance jobs is with Examiner.com. I am the Houston Budget Event Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-13982-Houston-Budget-Events-Examiner?showbio.) You've probably guessed it from the title but I follow budget events in the Greater Houston area and Summer is always flooded with them! So I always know to allow more writing time for these assignments.

I'm lucky though. I'm still waiting on my baby's arrival later this summer so for now I don't have too many distractions. How do writers manage their time during the Summer months? If you're a writer please share your tips!

No Better Motivation then an Upcoming Birth

Motivation. That is the one word that all writers seek. The idea or thing that really gets you working on that article/manuscript and keeps you on the word doc and off of Facebook. For me right now that motivation is the upcoming birth of my first child. I like order and organization in my life and I'm smart enough to know that EVERYTHING is about to change. It already has since I've been so sick throughout the pregnancy. Now thanks to bed rest (off and on) I'm making the most of my doctor's orders and pressing forward to finish my YA. I can see that beautiful light at the end of the tunnel and look forward to hitting the final 'send' to get my last email query out to agents. My goal is to get this done so that I will have the wonderful satisfaction of feeling complete (with this manuscript) before my baby arrives. Plus what a better way to not suffer from the dreaded waiting game then to have a newborn to care for! I also will then finally be able to begin working on my middle grade novel series that won't stay out of my head! In fact its been in my head off and on since I was in junior high. Persistence is finally going to pay-off for that character but I need to finish one project and have a baby first! Don't worry little guy...your time will come soon!

As for all you other writers out there; find your motivation. From the past almost decade of freelancing the best way to not enjoy this job is to suffer from lack of motivation. We've all been there. You're on a deadline and just nothing is feeling right to you. In fact, one of my least favorite articles ended up receiving some of the best praise. At the time I though, "really?" My mind was on everything but that article at the time I wrote it and I really just pushed through and got it done. However, when I look back at it now I do admit that it was a good article. Now I'm in no way advocating for you to go out there and just write even if you are not enjoying it but the truth is that sometimes we do have to just get through it. But if you can tap into your motivation then you will always remember the love for this craft and industry and you will make great things happen. At least that's what my plan is. So enjoy this early post because now I'm off to my word document for a day of revisions!

Finding My Inner Villain

I've reached the point in my revisions where I need to fine tune my stories villain. I spent all night working on the chapter where my heroine meets him. For someone who always loved the villains in the Disney movies growing up (I'm a big Maleficent fan) I thought that this wouldn't be as hard as it is. However, I guess that just shows truly what a nice person I am. I just hate being mean to my heroine and hero! Well, after thinking of countless movie villains and merging their personalities, considering my villain's motivation and reasons for being evil I think I got him where I want him to be. It was a tiring exercise but I'm now happy at how he will turn out. I just hope my readers don't think I'm horrible for creating such a evil person but every good story must be driven by conflict and this story definitely has conflict! Conflict that will hopefully result in nail-biting, sitting on the edge of your seat reading!

Well, not bad for day 2 of my blog. I did submit another entry! Now I'm back to revising/writing while waiting for people to call me for interviews for my current freelance article. I hate waiting on call-backs but that does give me more time to edit. Oscar is happily supervising my work today from the couch as he dreams off and on I'm sure about bones and tennis balls!

My debut to the World of Blogging

I've read many blogs but until recently I've never thought to start one. This may seem extremely odd to some since I am a writer but problem solved and here I am on Blogger. I'm a freelance journalist on contract with several Houston and National publications. I also love to read fiction and during this past year I began working on a Young Adult novel. I'm revising it and soon will be sending it out in search of an agent. I also am working on a Middle Grade novel that is based on a short story that I won a National Scholastic Award with when I was in Junior High. So yes, I've always loved to write. However, life happens and so far this year I've been following behind many of my personal deadlines but for good reason. My husband and I are expecting our first baby this summer. Our baby is doing great! I however, have not been enjoying the experience of pregnancy. I've been suffering from a condition called Hyperemisis which means I have a hard time eating and drinking. Of course that doesn't stop my cravings which only creates frustration! So now I spend my days writing or trying to write from bed or the couch.

This gives you an idea of what to expect from my blog. As a writer you never know what crazy topic I may be covering! That alone will bring laughs! I also will be blogging a lot about my journey to becoming a published fiction author. This is a very large and overwhelming industry but I'm already seeing the benefits and I'm determined to stick with it until it works out. And of course there is my personal life of pregnancy and the baby on the way. I will try to write often, even if it's just a little. And then there is my personal assistant that helps me with everything I do. That would be Oscar, the seventy-pound dog pictured with me above. Just about everything I write is done with him laying next to me or on me. So I think this is a good start and a enough about me for the day. I hope you will follow. If you are also a writer, leave advice or comment when you can relate to a post. If you have opinions on something I'm researching for an article please comment away. Or you can just lurk and I won't be offended. Until tomorrow (maybe) have a great day!