Episode 118: Go With The Flow for Summer

Summer has a way of changing the rules. Your routines you’ve had since January or maybe only from Spring Break are about to get upended once again. The weather gets remarkably warmer, you want to be outside more, schedules become less predictable, and the longer days mean everybody’s up later if you have kids at home. 

So, when do you find time to write?

This is a good question to ask yourself. By meeting yourself where you are right now, and preparing for what’s to come, you relieve a lot of tension. It’s so common to start the season with good intentions, then find yourself frustrated because your writing life doesn't look the way you expected it to.

But, if you prepare yourself for what’s to come then you’re less likely to just have “good intentions” on your mind, but actual, actionable tasks for yourself. 

Summer and it’s ability to upend everything is what inspired this week's podcast episode: Go With the Flow for Summer.

So, instead of fighting with the season, or letting it stress you out, what if you worked with it?

What if summer isn't asking you to keep the same writing rhythm you've had all year?

You might write less for a while.

You’ll read more and this is something that comes up in this week’s episode.

You’ll spend time collecting ideas rather than feeling the pressure to have everything on the page.

Maybe you'll have bursts of creativity followed by weeks that feel slower and less structured.

All of this doesn't mean you're falling behind.

It means you're showing up in different ways to your creative process.

Your mind may be so set on thinking that drafting is the most important part of writing your novel, but reading, observing, thinking, and living are part of it too. Sometimes the experiences you have during a less productive season become the things you draw from later. 

It’s so common to put pressure on yourself to force consistency through every season of life. What I still love about the conversation I watched between authors Abby Jimenez and Meghan Quinn, is both of them talked about being behind on their deadlines and that there are as many different approaches to writing as there are writers. So, this idea of there being one way or that you have to grind on the “hamster wheel” of writing is not realistic for everyone. 

Creativity rarely moves in a straight line. That’s what’s so beautiful about being a creative person. You move at your own rhythm. 

When you think about this Summer, it may be inviting you into a different relationship with your writing. So, if your writing life looks different over the next few months, give yourself permission to follow where the season leads.

Allow for more flexibility.

Maybe find opportunities for curiosity. 

You can leave word counts behind and focus on another measure for your progress. 

I highly encourage you to read the book that's been sitting on your nightstand. I flew through two great books recently by taking this leap. 

I read: Good People by Patmeena Sabit and The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez. 

Take a long walk and dictate your ideas into your phone.

Fill your notebook with observations or from eavesdropping on conversations (I love this one for fiction writing).

Write when you can. Forcing the creative process never works. 

Trust that you're a writer, even when your creative energy takes a different shape.

 Welcome to the Inspired Writer Collective podcast. If you've ever felt the pull to write your truth, to shape the chaos of real life into something meaningful and to share your journey with the world, you're in the right place. We're your hosts, Elizabeth and Stephanie, writers, coaches, and entrepreneurs who believe in you and know how important it is to find a writing community to guide you on your path to self-publishing.

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Transcript

Stephanie 0:00

Welcome back writers to the Inspired Writer Collective podcast. It's Stephanie here, and I'm with Elizabeth, and we are going to be chatting today about something that's possibly on your mind as we come to the end of May here and summer is approaching. And for many of us, that means a big disruption in our schedules. Maybe not for you, maybe you are gonna keep cruising along right where you are, and that's awesome if that's you. But for those of us who have school-aged children and other life happenings, uh, the summer is definitely a time where it's another stage of transition in the year. So we're gonna be digging in a little bit today about what that looks like for us with our own writing, how we can help support you and give you some ideas of things to do. And so Elizabeth, what are you thinking about as the summer is approaching?

Elizabeth Wilson 1:08

Well, historically, summers have been a downtime for writing because I've always had childcare, um, that I've needed to do, and I've also, the past three summers, taken on additional childcare. So I already have to watch my own kid, and I've had other kids come and join us as well. And so that's not been a heavy writing time. Uh, it usually is a time when I, on the back end, am doing a bunch of like podcast prep for the fall. That's when I'm meeting with potential guests and scheduling episodes, sometimes even recording those episodes and, and that's my game plan again for July of this year. Um, but for me, this summer in particular, uh, I have a lot of life things going on. So I am moving, and I'm launching and publishing my memoir, Lonely Girl. That comes out at the end of June, June 22nd. And so I'm currently in my presale launch period, and that's going to continue from now all the way until the- that release day. And then, of course, I wanna do some live events, some book signings, and things of that nature to go along with the book. So my focus this summer, because of where that writing project is, is it's not gonna be in a whole lot of sitting at the desk writing There's gonna be a, a lot of marketing, a lot of podcast recording. I've got a bunch of guest spots lined up on other podcasts where I'll be recording and appearing, lot of promotion. Um, and then, like I said, some, some live events that I hope to arrange and book signings I hope to do. So from a writing perspective, what this looks like for me is most of my writing is gonna be journaling. I fully believe that this move is my step into act two of my next memoir. Um, and so I will be documenting that in my journal as I have in the past, and just living it. Just trying to engage with it, and also just really appreciating the beauty of having a book, having my memoir to hold in my hand. I don't wanna rush, uh, through that experience. I wanna be able to feel that, to enjoy that, to relish in that a bit too. And because of the move, because of my family dynamic, summer is a really big time of, like, very family-focused. And so most of my, you know, big projects will wait until school resumes in August, and I'll have a lot more freedom to move within my schedule and make time for that. But while I have my daughter home with me, I'm gonna be making the most of that time that we have together, and this is a rhythm that I've experienced almost every summer since starting my book. Yeah, yeah, every summer. And I now have the, the certainty that I will get back into it. You know, I think sometimes people are afraid that if they stop some of those habits or, you know, setting that time, time aside for their writing, that they won't get back into it again. They'll just abandon the project. But I've not had that experience. I've always, after a bit of a break, been eager to jump back into the next thing. So that's what my summer is looking like.

Stephanie 4:21

Well, that's sounds very full, and I love though that you are bringing up and highlighting the importance of really treasuring what's coming up for you as a writer, as an author, that there are these moments that aren't necessarily all about the pen to page, that are also really important in the journey, and to, to take the time to enjoy it, to slow it down a little bit, to not rush it, because it is a huge stepping stone in the process. So I think that that's awesome. I had some life things that kind of derailed me a bit from my own writing project that I had the goal of having the messy first draft done by the end of April, and now we're at the end of May and not quite there yet, but I'm getting closer. So it's where I'm going to be digging in and putting in a lot of energy, especially at the beginning of the summer, because in July there is a conference for the Romance Writers of America that I'd like to pitch to agents at that event. And so that is where a lot of my focus is going to be, which is also why, uh, even though recently on a recent episode, I was talking a lot about shifting my online appearance that has also not been as present because of my focus on my writing. And so I'm kind of figuring out the balance between my writing projects and showing up online. And so that's definitely part of my journey for the summer. And one of the things that comes to mind is just a few weeks ago, I listened to a conversation between the authors Abby Jimenez and Megan Quinn talking about there's many ways to write as there are writers, and I wrote about that in a recent email as well that went out. And that keeps coming to mind for me because sometimes there's this unwritten pressure to feel like you have to follow what Stephen King is doing if you've read On Writing, or you have to follow what Anne Lamott's doing with Bird by Bird and all these other writers. But what it really comes down to is going with the rhythm of what works for you. And that's kind of where I'm sitting right now is things happened, and I just have to get back into my rhythm.

Elizabeth Wilson 6:52

Yeah, I think there's a little bit of a, I don't know, stigma or concept around writing that you're only a serious writer if you write every day or write every weekday or, you know. Like, it's measured by this consistency metric of writing. But what I try to remind writers, especially memoir writers, is that all of our writing comes from our lived experiences. So if you're not taking that time to actually live, to actually be in the moment and have those experiences that are then worthy of going into a book, you know, then, then what is it, what is it all for? Um, and so, and, uh, this goes a little bit

Stephanie 7:30

Mm-hmm.

Elizabeth Wilson 7:34

what counts as writing, right? There's... I mean, if you were writing historical fiction, you would absolutely understand that part of that writing process is the research phase. So let's look at some parts of l- just living our life as our research phases. Whether, whether you're writing a fiction genre, whether you're writing memoir, you have to go out there and live and do that research, whether you're, you know, studying how different people are interacting in the wild, you know, quote-unquote, in public, how that looks. Um, just different scenarios. It, it all sparks creativity and ideas, and there's, there's nothing wrong with, you know, switching that, that gear between, you know, input and output, you know? So yes, maybe you're, you're trying to hit, you know, a, a certain word count or, like you said, you're trying to finish your draft. So yes, you're gonna be more output focused this summer, whereas I am gonna be more input focused. You know, I've done the output. I'm just wrapping up a major output season, and so then I'll be switching gears, and I'll be just absorbing for a bit and, um, just in those experiences. yeah, summer is, is interesting. I mean, the weather gets warmer. A lot of times, that's when people take trips. Um, whether you have school-age kids or not, it's a common time to travel. There's so many great experiences you can have by just taking yourself out of your normal everyday environment and experiencing something new, whether that's just a new culture or a new town down the road that you haven't explored yet. Um, one of the guests I wanna have for next season talks about taking your travels and turning them into stories, and so I think that'll be a nice way to sort of bring us back in the fall as we can reflect back on the experiences we've had of the summer. We're also gonna be doing things a little bit differently with our episodes for the summer. In June, we'll be doing a briefer behind-the-scenes of a publishing author in the lead up to my book release. Uh, Stephanie will serve as the interviewer as I just fill you guys in on what that feels like emotionally, where I'm at, what my fears are, what I'm doing, how I'm getting it done, what that looks like. I'm happy to provide, you know, numbers and metrics if, if you guys are interested in that too. But just a really true, like, behind-the-scenes of what that looks like because I know for me in looking at other authors, it just seems like, oh, it just magically happens. They get it done. They have success, or they don't, but you don't know what they did to have that success or what they didn't do in order to, you know, release their book to crickets. Like, you just don't know, and so we're gonna take this opportunity to Record some actual behind-the-scenes type conversation of what it really is like, and then in July, we'll come back with our traditional shortened summer episodes, our little mini episodes, for the month of July, as I recruit guests behind the scenes for our fall. Um, yeah. And, and all this is to say, there's no wrong or right way. There's the you way, and you've gotta do the you way of being a writer. For me, that's gonna look like not doing a lot of writing this summer. For Stephanie, hopefully that's, you know, you're going for it, girl, 'cause you got some big dreams, and you have a deadline, and you have a goal. And and I think that's important, too, is if you are gonna go have, like, um, a sprint season, I tend to do my sprints, like, January to March, but if you're gonna have a sprint season, have a real solid goal and benchmark for that, so you can really, like, keep yourself encouraged and hold yourself accountable.

Stephanie 11:23

Well, and it is really helpful to have a goalpost at the end. Like I had said April 'cause I thought, "Okay, that'll give me a little bit of cushion." And I'm glad I didn't push it up right up to the deadline for when the conference is because that would be even more stressful. And then again like you were just saying it's the do you as a writer and even in the conversation with Abby Jimenez and Megan Quinn, both of them mentioned being behind on submitting drafts. And it was very real and very human. And that's the other piece is just remembering that you're human and life unfolds, and it looks different for everyone. And while it seems like it's all magic for the people who are getting published, it's still a lot of work behind the scenes, and there's a lot of mindset around honoring yourself, honoring what you needed. Recently, when I got sick, I was so frustrated because it really flattened me. Like, I have not been flattened by a cold in a long time, and it was to the point where I just could not have a thought. And I just had to say to myself, "You know what? I need to just pause and stop." And, you know, the bonus was I read a whole bunch of books which had been sitting on my nightstand and been neglected because I was so focused on the writing. So there's still the benefits even in the times when you think like, "Oh, but I didn't get my word count in." And you know what? Word count doesn't work for every writer, and maybe you're a writer that it works for, but I tried that and yeah, that doesn't work. And the daily pressure, that doesn't always work. And you can keep trying things on and trying different things, and sometimes the summer can be a great way to experiment with that because it is such a in-between season sometimes for a lot of us. And, there are so many more disruptions that maybe you're like, "Oh, I'm gonna figure out how to work with these disruptions, and I'm gonna get up earlier for the sunrise and take advantage of that." And getting outside when the weather is warmer, finding different places to get my work done. Maybe you might experiment with Walking and dictating to your Notes app. Uh, that's something that I've been doing more often is taking the dog for a walk, and then I just start talking into into my phone and into the Notes app, and it'll transcribe it, and then I can easily paste it into a document. So there are lots of different things that maybe you might try to experiment with that you haven't tried before in order to fit it into whatever it is that you're doing.

Elizabeth Wilson 14:12

I'm so glad you brought up reading because that's one area of my life that has really, like, not happened over the last at least six months, but arguably a year. But I've trie- I've kept thinking I was gonna have more space for it, like, once I finish drafting my memoir. But then you do so many rounds of edits and proofreading and reading again and reading again that I was just constantly having to be pulled back to my own book to do another read-through and make sure these proof changes got changed correctly and all of that. And so I am really looking forward to this summer and being able to finally read some other people's stuff. I mean, I love my book. Don't get me wrong. I cry every time I read it. But, um, it'll be nice to, like, be able to, to experience some other people's worlds for a little bit as well. So I am excited for that. I, I have been tracking what I'm reading on that Tuesday memoir-focused email, so if you're curious about what I'm reading, you can find it there. I still have so many books that I'm supposed to read in this library that's behind me of these wrapped books that, uh, are a surprise as to when I read them. But let's hope this summer is a time where I get to go through more of those.

Stephanie 15:24

Well and reading is such a great reminder too of why you wanna get your story in the hands of readers, you read what other people are doing, you get excited, and I mean, I know I do, and I've been reading across more genres recently and even in romance, I'm like, "Ooh," you know, like yeah, I'm taking little pieces or ideas and tropes and whatnot, but it's still my completely different story. And I was talking to somebody the other day about how You know what, one of the things that keeps me coming back to it, even though, I mean, it's been a journey, is that I just get excited when I think about the story that I'm telling. And as time's gone on, my characters are more alive and more in my head. And sometimes that's annoying, especially if they appear when I'm like not ready to sit down and write something, um, which is a fiction thing that I've learned about. Um, and I'm sure it happens when you're writing memoir that all of a sudden something pops in and you want to capture it right in that moment. And so there are a lot of twists and turns to the journey as a writer. And it's not so cut and dry that so many things out there seem to try to make it seem like, oh, you can write your book in this amount of time. And with AI, there's all of this added emphasis where people are worried about AI taking away from writers, but really it doesn't at all because we're human. We want to read stories by humans. We want to read what's real and authentic and anything that is out there that's AI written becomes everybody else's property and doesn't belong to the author. That's the interesting thing. I heard a publisher talking recently about that, about how if something is determined to be AI, well, then it's not owned by the author. It's owned by everybody because anybody could

Elizabeth Wilson 17:29

Yeah.

Stephanie 17:29

it and redo it. And so ultimately that's the value of being an author is that you get to stamp your name on it and you get to say, I did this and I did it with my own mind, with my own ideas, my own research. And that's a beautiful thing.

Elizabeth Wilson 17:47

Yeah, I think they were referencing a recent court decision that you cannot copyright any AI, uh, generated work. It's n-- You can't copyright it. It... Yeah.

Stephanie 17:58

Yeah, which is so all the more reason to be motivated this summer to get your story going.

Elizabeth Wilson 18:07

Absolutely. So happy writing, happy reading, happy traveling, and we hope you'll join us for our special summer series as well. But until then, hop on our email list, send us a message, uh, let us know what you wanna see for next season. We'd love to hear from you