Forgetting English: Stories by Midge Raymond

"A wonderfully written, powerful compilation of short stories." -- Seattlest

Amazon.com

Powell's Books

I always find it hard to focus on writing when the weather is (finally) gorgeous. Of course, this week in Seattle, it’s a little toasty (okay, it’s freaking HOT: 94 currently — forecast of 97 tomorrow). But whether you’re enjoying the weather or trying to escape it, summer can generally be tough for focusing on writing. Hence I offer the following list.

- DO say no to the Internet. (I’ve been working on my laptop, wireless off. It’s the only way.)

- DO say yes to air-conditioning. (Go out and find it if you don’t have it. If your writing time is pleasant, it’ll inspire you to keep up all the great work.)

- DO set a daily goal. (This will allow you to get done whatever you can in the midst of Life. You can even set very small daily goals while you’re on Vacation.)

- DO reward yourself for meeting your daily goal. (Iced mochas, margaritas, beach, whatever.)

- DON’T use weather, vacation, etc., as an excuse not to be a writer. (Think about it: even if you can’t sit down and write, you can observe, eavesdrop, take notes, photograph, think, talk to people, visit your air-conditioned local library. All of these things will help inform your writing in some way.)

- DON’T be unrealistic about your daily goals, or any other writing goals. (Know that writing a chapter a day while on vacation with the family is not realistic. Writing a scene every weekend until September might be.)

And finally, DO remember why you’re writing. Write it down if you have to; you can even turn it into an affirmation. And use this to help you keep showing up on the page.

Visit Midge's blog: http://www.midgeraymond.com/blog/