5 Summer Writing Tips

It’s hot in the summer, so it’s nice to slow down a bit and drink something refreshing; something that quenches the thirst. So I got to thinking, why not do a summer refresher for authors?

That’s what this episode is going to be about – striking a refreshing balance between productive writing and enjoying some laid-back summer vibes.

Below are 5 summer writing tips that have helped me over the past number of years.

#1 Get out the calendar

• • How much time is left between now and your deadline?
  • What events are coming up over the summer?
  • What are the kids’ activity schedules – camps, VBS, part-time jobs – that you’ll have to shuttle them to and from?
  • Log your work hours into the calendar as well.

Now count up the potential hours per week you have available to write.

Consider how many words/pages you typically write per hour. Will you still be able to meet your deadline?

If not, consider asking a friend or family member to help transport the kids one or two days a week. Maybe get up an hour earlier in the morning.

If small tweaks like that won’t get you to your deadline, it’s time to reconsider your deadline. If you’re self-publishing this shouldn’t be a problem. That is, unless, you continually push back your deadline.

It’s okay to push your deadline back once, maybe even twice, for general, non-emergency related reasons. But don’t make it a habit. Try your best to reach your original deadline.

#2 Set realistic expectations

When planning your summer writing schedule, don’t expect to write three hours straight in the evening after a day at the pool or beach. Your brain (and probably your skin) will be fried.

Planning to write in the morning? Don’t expect to be at your writing best after the second-straight night of catching up with out-of-town guests.

Know your limits and be flexible. 

You might also like: 5 Time & Mind Management Tips for Writers

#3 Make time for family

If you’re a work-from-home parent like I am, enjoy lunches with your kids this summer, especially if they attend public school, which prevents you from sharing this meal together most of the year.

Also, leave some time in the evenings for just you and your spouse. After a day of having fun with with the kids, you might be tempted to catch up on work in the evenings. While this is okay occasionally, you don’t want it to become a habit.

And try to limit technology for all family members (including you) while on vacation. Allow it to be a bonding time with each other rather than with personal devices.

#4 Give yourself grace

God didn’t design us to work 24/7 and God doesn’t expect us to get everything right. We shouldn’t, either.

You might be super productive in your writing one week but absolutely stagnant the next. It’s okay – that’s normal. Just don’t stop writing altogether!

#5 Refresh and refuel yourself in the Word

Spend time with God in His word and in prayer. Don’t leave Him out of your summer plans. Ask Him to show you how to fit writing and time with family into your schedule.

Recognize that balance of any kind isn’t stationary. It requires constant motion and modification.

It’s also temporary. Just ask a surfer.

Or maybe you’re like me and grew up in the ’70s and ’80s playing on a teeter-totter. Most of my time was spent either high up in the air or way down on the ground rather than hovering parallel with my friend on the other end.

So this summer,

• Go to the beach.
• Enjoy the fireworks.
• Attend some concerts.
• Make time for whatever brings your family together.

But also honor the summer writing commitments you’ve marked on your calendar.