I seem to do this summer idea percolation thing every year. I think while I pull weeds in my garden, while I’m fixing meals, and even while I’m watching television. I put together a few scenes in my head and play with plot twists while I’m writing blog posts or grocery shopping.
As I get closer and closer to the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Conference (September 7-9 this year) in Denver, and then to the member retreat for Northern Colorado Writers in October, ideas become notes on paper and notes become scribbled scenes. By the time we head for Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch for a weekend of writerly bonding, snacking, and tons of dedicated (and silent) writing time, I’m ready for one of my binge writing sessions.
There’s something about Colorado Gold that gets me going again. And the retreat is the perfect vehicle for forcing me to put words on paper (via my laptop, of course).
I plan to do NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this November as well, so I need two binge-writing projects going at the same time.
That’s no problem, because my retreat project can be finishing last year’s NaNoWriMo novel or one of my short stories.
Do you write all year round or take planned breaks from your writing schedule? Is there a particular time of the year when you’re more productive than usual? And finally, are you going to do NaNoWriMo this year?
Pat – I’m pretty sure I’m not going to do NaNo this year. Because I have a “day job” it’s often really hard for me to put that much focus on my writing. But I admire you NaNo writers an awful lot. My “day” job is also the reason I don’t take long breaks from writing. I don’t get the chance to work on it for days or hours at a time most of the time, so for me, getting the chance to focus on it is a break.
I did NaNoWriMo last year. Not sure yet if I’m going to do it this year. It was intense!
I wish I could say I write regularly, Lynn, but I’m clearly more the binge writing type. I haven’t been successful at retraining myself.
Nutschell, simmering is what I claim my manuscripts are doing when I’m not working on them. 😀
I try not to take too many breaks 🙂 right now i’m letting my manuscript simmer before diving into the next round of drafts!
Nutschell
http://www.thewritingnut.com
i have been writing more regularly ever since the az thing 🙂
Ken, NaNo wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. We’ll see how it goes this year.
Alex, I think the breaks make me more productive. And I’d sure like to know how you know when you’re finally doing “final” edits.
Hi Pat — All you have to do is label your schedule “brilliant and individualized to your own needs and desires.” 😀
My writing schedule is so pathetic and scattered that I’ll just keep it to myself! It’s good to see that you have no such problems!
I take unintentional breaks if those count.
I think when NaNo rolls around this year I will just be finishing final edits on my third book, so not sure I’ll be ready to dive back into writing at that point.
The only time I take a planned break is if we are going on a trip or have out of town guests. I always plan on getting a lot of writing done in the summer, but with the girls out of school, it seldom happens. I still haven’t recovered from doing Nanowrimo three years ago, so, I’m not ready to go down that road again. But good luck with that. As I recall, you breezed through it last year.