Does the time of year change your writing habits?
I suffer from SADD, meaning I need sun to feel well. Although I do better now than I used to, it still affects me. I don't feel like doing a lot during the long, cold months of winter. The worst is January/February. After the holidays are over, and the drearty days of late winter seem to drag on forever, I struggle to get up, to do anything. My mood is worse than bad. I'm depressed, terribly.
Although these months must seem perfect for writing, for me they are not. It's difficult to concentrate, to be motivated. The early evenings should be filled with words, with plotting. But for me, I'd rather watch TV or just sloth around the house. My best time for writing is the long days of summer, in the late nights after DH goes to bed. I open the front door, and sip a Pepsi while my fingers fly over the keyboard.
A few posts back, on Laurie's "Avatar post" I said that slogging through was separated the doers from the wannabees. So I push through. I don't always get a lot done, but usually I find the stamina to write at least a few pages a week. Sometimes those half finished mss from summer are a perfect solution. That's the case right now. I've been pushing through on an old ms that I'm updating and changing around.
I'm curious, what's your best season for writing?
I suffer from SADD, meaning I need sun to feel well. Although I do better now than I used to, it still affects me. I don't feel like doing a lot during the long, cold months of winter. The worst is January/February. After the holidays are over, and the drearty days of late winter seem to drag on forever, I struggle to get up, to do anything. My mood is worse than bad. I'm depressed, terribly.
Although these months must seem perfect for writing, for me they are not. It's difficult to concentrate, to be motivated. The early evenings should be filled with words, with plotting. But for me, I'd rather watch TV or just sloth around the house. My best time for writing is the long days of summer, in the late nights after DH goes to bed. I open the front door, and sip a Pepsi while my fingers fly over the keyboard.
A few posts back, on Laurie's "Avatar post" I said that slogging through was separated the doers from the wannabees. So I push through. I don't always get a lot done, but usually I find the stamina to write at least a few pages a week. Sometimes those half finished mss from summer are a perfect solution. That's the case right now. I've been pushing through on an old ms that I'm updating and changing around.
I'm curious, what's your best season for writing?
I'm with you. I was so glad when the whole light-deprivation thing was given a name, because for years I thought it was just me. I work on old, half-done stuff during these long, cold days, and am thankful to see the sun come up just a minute or so earlier every day.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind how warm or cold it is; I just need sunlight. The more light, the more work.
I love to write in the Spring. It is full of promises for the future where anything can happen. It's not too hot or too cold. Spring waits for what comes next so my writing soars.
ReplyDeleteone of my friends lives in alaska..she has the same problem...her dad bought her one of those lights, the special kind, and she says it helps dramatically! i'm just tired of being snowed in! my mind is the consistency of mashed potatoes!
ReplyDelete=)
carrie
I'm sooo on board with this. My SADD seems to get worse the older I get. When I was young, I just hated cloudy days-- now I get so awfully sad, but at least I know what it is and knowing is half the battle, right? (thanks, G.I. Joe) I'd love to have one of those happy lights. :) I have found that even a short walk outside when it's sunny or an inside workout helps, if I can muster the stamina to do it.
ReplyDeleteI agree...I don't suffer from SAD but the winter months aren't conducive to my way of writing, either. It gets dark early and I just want to go to bed! Luckily we do get a lot of sun during the daylight hours - short as they might be! - so I can usually get stuff done during the day...but I'm not nearly as productive in winter as spring/summer/fall.
ReplyDeleteWhile I too can get down in the dumps without sunshine, I LOVE WINTER! When it comes to writing, I am much more productive during the long (well, here in the South, it's only a couple of months)cold days. Once Spring comes with the flowering trees and allergies, and the heat of Summer, all I want to do is veg-out. Hmm, is that why most of my stories take place in late Fall and Winter? lol
ReplyDeleteI have SADD as well. It can get really bad. So I got myself a Verilux HappyLite. www.verilux.com
ReplyDeleteThey are having a sale right now--they are 100 bucks. I have it on my desk beside my monitor and it really does help. The weird thing is I love winter too. But when you are writing and you have stuff out there on an editor or agent's desk and you're receiving rejections in the mail and such it is hard not to let everything come crashing down on you. Try one of those lights. They may be a bit pricey but they are so worth it.
My .02 cents,
Cher
I've had SADD for years, and only had it retreat the 3 yrs we lived out on the Praires in central Canada. The weather was always high pressure, and the city we last lived in has the most sunny days in Canada. However, I take 1000units of Vitamin D starting every September and have found it really helps alleviate the worst of it. I'm not writing productive in the winter though. The only thing that keeps me going is the March 15th deadline for the Daphne! lol!
ReplyDeleteLast autumn I started writing then stopped. I picked up again this autumn and am just now feeling a slump. Already I'm looking forward to next autumn. I love the colors. My imagination just seems to perk when surrounded by such vivid colors.
ReplyDeleteThanks for weighing in, all.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to know I'm not alone.
Wow am I on a totally different planet or what? I don't write well in the summer. I'm to busy playing outside in the sunshine. My son is out of school for the summer, and there's TONS of exciting things to do here in Atlanta in the sumer time. In the winter, I don't want to go anywhere, so I sit on the couch with my snuggie, my laptop and a notebook. Then I write like crazy.
ReplyDelete