The Seasons of Writing

Speaking of seasons, cold season is ramping up and I have my first one of the year! Blarrgg. But other than that…

I love the seasons.

Spring with its hopeful sunshine and soggy earth, summer’s ripe vegetables. The windswept colors of fall and even the silvery clouds and naked forests of winter. They each hold a certain beauty, but I have to admit, the seasons affect my productivity.

I’m distracted on sunny days when I could be lying on a beach or cooking on the grill. I’m not sure I could live in a perpetual sunny location. It would feel like Ground Hog Day with the same happy perfection day after day–a sensibility that degrades my creative impetus. But give me a blustery, grey day and I’ll stay in and write until my fingers fall off.

Those are just the literal seasons.

As Deb Susan said, the seasons of our emotions affect us. How we feel about where we are in our lives, our choices, and our self-confidence impacts the worlds we create. Or whether we create them at all.

I feel myself embarking on a new seasonal path—the path of my publishing career. At the moment I’m enjoying the hope and excitement of spring and its tender growth, the occasional rain storm. The whirlwind of newness has me all atwitter and I’m finding it difficult to focus on my current manuscript. BUT I MUST. With any luck (and a crapload of hard work), my writing, and career, will continue to grow and blossom.

We all have our ups and downs, the time of day that works best for us, and the perfect time of year to be productive. What’s yours and how do you push through the rough seasons?