Friday, May 14, 2010

The Arrival of Summer

Summer.  I can nearly taste its arrival.  Blame it on the nasty weather we've experienced lately or the huge stack of essays on my desk I need to grade, but until today, summer seemed more like a dream than a reality.  

The best part?  There are only three weeks left until I get to be a full-time writer.  Well, at least for the summer (the benefits of being a teacher who gets summers off).  This will be the first time that I'll be devoting my summer to writing, and I'm excited!

Of course, if I had my way, this would be my view from my desk:


But since I don't own a private paradise--at least not yet--I'll settle for my humble writing desk.  Besides, how could I write with that outside?  If my full-time writing experience is going to be effective, I have to limit as many distractions as possible.  

I'm curious, what do you do to limit distractions?  Do you set a writing schedule or a word count?  Do you plan your blogging/commenting time?  Do you reward yourself for good behavior?  I'd love you hear your suggestions before I embark on my new adventure.

15 comments:

Swimmer said...

I actually need o turn off the internet to get writing done!

Swimmer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Aubrie said...

I have more time to write in the summer as well! Isn't it great?

I set a 1k word count goal for myself, but I up it in the summer.

Good luck with those essays. :)

Shannon O'Donnell said...

I go in the bathroom and lock the door. Sometimes it feels like that's my only option! LOL!

Have a great weekend! :-)

Saumya said...

I definitely try to shut off the Internet and put the phone away. And a word count goal helps too. You'll be great!!

Renae said...

I need this advice big time! I don't get as many days off during the summer, and so I have to make the most of each one!

Thanks for posting the good question!

Shannon Messenger said...

First of all--New Follower! *waves* And I'm #99. One more and you hit those exciting triple digits!

Not sure how I've missed your blog all this time, but I've found you now (dun dun dunnnnn). I love connecting with other writers.

Personally, I don't set goals as far as word count, just because sometimes I get stuck on a scene, and will get very little done, even though I worked for a long time. So usually I just limit my distractions. I lock the cats and husband out. Close all my web browser windows (even turning off my WiFi if I have to) and set a time limit for how late I must work till. Works really well. Though the best was having my agent put a deadline on me. Boy did THAT get me to accomplish a lot. :)

Anyway, sorry for the rambly comment. Look forward to getting to know you!

Unknown said...

Send some of that better weather over to us, please....

Cynthia Reese said...

When I'm on a project, I have a page count or word count that I try to meet every day, or at least five days a week. And that means for a couple of hours each day, no internet, no e-mail, no twitter.

I'm terribly jealous of your summer off -- not jealous enough to go back to teaching, but jealous nonetheless!

Anonymous said...

I'd like to say I have a daily word count, but that's not always the case. I literally have to put my rear in the chair and make myself work. If not, I wouldn't get anything done. Did I mention I am A.D.D.? ;)

KA said...

No way! Am I really your 100th follower?
To limit distractions, I give my 3yo crayons or a movie while the baby naps. My 6yo is not so easily amused, though, but I'm hoping his best friend will keep him busy this summer.
I use a word count, but I don't freak out if I don't reach my goal every day. I've got to make some allowances for bad days.

Shelley Sly said...

How do I limit distractions... I don't. It's terrible. I'm constantly distracted by the internet, by socializing, heck sometimes I'll even do housework while I'm supposed to write. But once school is out (I substitute teach, so I hear ya about the summer) then I'll work harder on limiting distractions.

Marcia said...

To limit distractions, my writing desk faces a paneled wall, not a window. I do not listen to music. I have the best success if I resist the internet or email till at least noon. I set a word count for myself. A page count would work, too. What doesn't work for me is a time allotment, because you can fool yourself about how much you really got done. Time doesn't produce a book; words do. I schedule my blog posts 2-4 weeks ahead, and often spend one Saturday per month blogging for the next month. Commenting on other blogs is a little more free-form, though I schedule it to some degree. I don't really reward myself for good behavior. I find that the good behavior itself makes me feel good, whereas sloughing off really doesn't feel good. How excited you must be to start your full-time summer writing adventure. Hope it goes great!

MTeacress said...

I've had an awful time with distractions - but now, I've made a schedule for myself. Work comes first: edits, critiques, next wip, study the craft (read books on how to write more gooder, ha!). Then I get to play: social networking and blogging. It's working well so far, and I feel better about how I spend my time.
Good luck coming up with what works for you! :)

Andria said...

This is really hard for me. I let myself get distracted by the internet too much. I've often thought that I should plan an hour or two a day this summer where I go somewhere that doesn't have a hot spot so I can write without thinking, "Ooh, I wonder if Amy has written another blog post."

Maybe I'll actually do it this year.