Every summer this happens.
I call it the summer doldrums.
And not even ice cream cake can save me from it.
My creative spark shrivels up like a worm on a hot sidewalk, and writing turns into a hair-pulling exercise in willpower and patience.
It sucks.
I mostly blame the heat and the angle of the sun as it slants through my window. Yeah, I know. That sounds nuts. Captain Nemo thinks I AM nuts.
Me: "I can't write because of the heat!"
Captain Nemo: (calmly) "Turn down the thermostat."
Me: "But also--the sunlight, it has a weird glow in the summer, there's no slant! It's too bright! It messes with my muse!"
Captain Nemo: *shakes head*
.
But there is something about the Georgia summer that makes my desire to write (along with most of my good ideas) just go *poof* ... it's like magic. Very, very bad magic.
Does this happen to anybody else? How do you cope?
So far my methods have been "plant butt firmly in chair, force self to write." But despite my best intentions, the words trickle out of me like the last couple of drops in my watering can.
*Sigh* At least in the South we have A/C.
I am really looking forward to fall!!
 |
| Does it involve lying halfway on the floor, moaning? Yes, yes it does. |
I call it the summer doldrums.
And not even ice cream cake can save me from it.
My creative spark shrivels up like a worm on a hot sidewalk, and writing turns into a hair-pulling exercise in willpower and patience.
It sucks.
I mostly blame the heat and the angle of the sun as it slants through my window. Yeah, I know. That sounds nuts. Captain Nemo thinks I AM nuts.
Me: "I can't write because of the heat!"
Captain Nemo: (calmly) "Turn down the thermostat."
Me: "But also--the sunlight, it has a weird glow in the summer, there's no slant! It's too bright! It messes with my muse!"
Captain Nemo: *shakes head*
.
But there is something about the Georgia summer that makes my desire to write (along with most of my good ideas) just go *poof* ... it's like magic. Very, very bad magic.
Does this happen to anybody else? How do you cope?
So far my methods have been "plant butt firmly in chair, force self to write." But despite my best intentions, the words trickle out of me like the last couple of drops in my watering can.
*Sigh* At least in the South we have A/C.
I am really looking forward to fall!!
I don't usually have a problem with the summer blahs. With the kids out of school though, it makes finding time for anything more challenging.
ReplyDeleteWhen it's super hot outside I lose the motivation to do anything so I definitely understand your doldrums.
ReplyDeleteBut I do appreciate the daylight - I work full time so it's nice to at least come home and feel like I still have a bit of the day ahead. As opposed to winter when I leave the house and it's just getting light out and then I get home and it's already dark, sleep, wake, repeat!
Slamdunk: I'm jealous! They hit me HARD every year.
ReplyDeletelisa: For some reason I write better at night ... I don't know why ...
So far I have coped by not writing... just thinking about the story.
ReplyDeleteLisa: I work full time too, but I like coming home in complete darkness anyway. It feels like a treat. In the summer, I'm rarely awake when it's dark.
ReplyDeleteI definitely know what you mean about the light being wrong. It's bright, glaring, and inescapable. I really prefer fall or spring. Winter is a bit too dreary where I live for it to be enjoyable either.
ReplyDeleteI'm not great in the summer. Give me winter any day :)
ReplyDelete