Welcome to the first Wednesday of the month. You know what that means! It's time to let our insecurities hang out. Yep, it's the Insecure Writer's Support Group blog hop. If you're a writer at any stage of career, I highly recommend this blog hop as a way to connect with other writers for support, sympathy, ideas, and networking.
If you're a reader, it's a great way to peek behind the curtain of a writing life.
December 2 question - Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?
The awesome co-hosts for the December 2 posting of the IWSG are Pat Garcia, Sylvia Ney, Liesbet @ Roaming About Cathrina Constantine, and Natalie Aguirre! Be sure to check out their posts as well as some of the other fabulous posts in this blog hop after you see what I've got to say:
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I pair my writing endeavors with a teaching career, so there is definitely a feeling of seasons about my focus, trying to make regular progress in small bursts in some times of the year, and having the chance to luxuriate in longer writing sessions during others.
During the school year, writing is shunted into a couple of hours a day at most. I still write--my daily writing chain is now over 7 years long--but I move slowly, producing somewhere between 250 and 800 words a day on average. Definitely my turtle time of year (vs. the hare).
I made a video about this on my author YouTube recently. You can check it out here:
Generally, when school is out, I go full-time on my writing life, devoting five or six hours a day. I still have other things to balance, of course, but even all my family, friendship, and life demands don't add up to the demands of a school day and, most of the time, I can get a couple of writing sessions a day.
It's been a little different this year, thanks to COVID--meaning I couldn't send my youngest daughter to a friend's house or off to camp--but I still got a good four hours a day last summer by taking my writing time while she was still asleep (teenagers sleep late if you let them) and that felt like heaven.
I look forward to being a full time writer someday, but for now, this seasonal swing works for me. It might even be the secret of my success at the moment.
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I appreciate those hours all the more because I don't have them any old day. They're a gift. Something special.
How about you? How does your yearly flow go for your creative endeavors?
I'm glad you were able to get in four awesome hours of writing time a day. Adjusting is what we need to do. I hope you get great writing time in during your holiday break. :)
ReplyDeleteFour hours is awesome when you're used to one or two :-)
DeleteI think your dedication to your writing really shows. You get quite a bit of regular writing in even if you're working. That's impressive.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I do a lot of careful prioritizing to make it so.
DeletePlease contribute this to the group ezine
ReplyDeleteHappy to. Thanks!
DeleteAs a fellow teacher I Feel your pain. I'm an evening writer - if I write at all during the school year. I hope you are able to enjoy the holidays, and some writing time. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeletePriorities--writing, working, family time--keeps all of us hopping. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Wow--your daily writing chain is 7 years long?? That's so impressive. I'm hoping to make more of a schedule for myself and get at least a little writing done every day.
ReplyDeleteI love that you have a seven year writing chain. That's amazing. I don't even have a seven day writing chain.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found a flow that works for you!
teachers are a special breed in all their own! My hubby used to be a middle school Science teacher so you're inspiring to me!
ReplyDeleteI think that I write more in Winter, when I am not being tempted to go for walks instead of writing. But I probably do the same amount of writing that I do in Summer, when I am just doing more things, as then I don't feel like I should be hibernating.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I'd noticed my productivity lagged after April, so made it a point to buckle down and up my productivity during the Summer/Fall months by taking a blogging break. And using that time to focus on whatever story I'm working on. Other than that instead of seasons, there are times during the day when I'm most productive. That's at night, when the kids are asleep and have quiet me time.
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm SO impressed that you're able to write through your teaching "season." Teaching can be so draining, and that you're still able to write every day is super inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's definitely difficult some days, but it keeps me going. It's weird how writing is both fuel and work :-)
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