Seasonal Writing

Have you ever wondered what ‘season’ of writer you are? No, I’m not talking about when you wax poetic in your writing about the spectacular fall colours, the bitingly cold winter season, the fragrance of blooming spring flowers or the hot, sticky dog days of summer. I’m wondering whether there are certain times of year whether you feel more or less productive or inspired as a writer?

Fall has always been my favourite season. No humidity, blazing colours, crisp, cool, earth-scented air. Back to school, back to routine, boots, scarves, sweaters. Ahh, I love fall. And, for some reason, it has also been one of my most productive writing times. Maybe it’s that ‘back to routine’ business – a remnant from prepping to go back to school. That little surge of adrenaline about the school year to come. When I’m getting the kids organized for school and getting my house organized (well, trying to, anyway) after a summer of outside busy-ness it makes my mind sharper. Maybe it’s the cool days and nights where I want to curl up with a good book or, better yet, curl up and write MY good book! Whatever it is, I just feel this particular season helps me to focus better as a writer.

Winter isn’t far behind as my favourite writing season, mostly because I’m indoors a lot. No surprise, but I’m not a big winter sports fan. Yes, I have to schlep The Boy around to hockey arenas and that does take time but, for the most part, I can carve out some writing hours throughout the winter months much easier than I can in spring or summer mostly due to the weather outside being ‘frightful’.

So, what about those last two “S” seasons? What is it about Spring and Summer that makes it harder for me to write? It’s not that I don’t write at all during those times. In fact, I just finished my last wip this past June. But the spring fever does hit me hard and I want to be outside, planting flowers, taking in the warmer air and feeling like I deserve a bit of a break from my writing hibernation over the winter. And, with the winters we sometimes get up here, I am pretty much stir crazy by the time April hits. I NEED to be outdoors. Then, in summer, when kids are home, vacations are taken, life just gets more, not less, hectic.

I know many writers stick to their schedule of daily writing rain or shine, fall, winter, spring, summer, without fail. And I admire those who can do that. But, for me, it’s not that simple. So, I accept that I’m primarily a fall and winter writer and I try and make up for my lack of writerly output, especially in the summer months, by writing as much as I can in the two seasons that I find most productive for me as a writer. I ‘yam what I ‘yam.

How about you? Do the seasons affect your writing? Or do you shut everything off to write, even the weather outside?