For a teacher, in theory, the summer months should be the most productive. I have ample time to write, read, scrapbook, etc. Whatever I want to do, I have the entire day. Most teachers work twelve hours or more during the eight or nine months of the regular school year knowing they will make up for time lost in the summer.
For me, however, I find the summer months are the hardest months for motivation. I've been working nonstop, so when presented with an open day, my mind just stops. The adrenaline I've been using to propel myself forward has ceased and stillness remains. It took me four years of the teaching cycle to realize I work better on a schedule. In the absence of a schedule, I need a routine.
Call it my math background, or my OCD, or whatever, but I need a plan. This time is set for this topic, this time is set for writing and this time is set for whatever. Without the routine, I tend to waste a lot of time. Then, come August, anger and regret meet me with a list of the unaccomplished.
So, as I set about my summer writing schedule, I wanted to offer this advice. Most writers I know write on a schedule. They make time to write. It's not as "romantic" of a notion as writing when the "passion strikes", but it is an effective tool. I am hoping to finish my fifth book under my summer routine. Let's see if I can do it!
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