Life in the summer is full of distractions. They are wonderful, like going to the
playground with my grandchildren or learning to kayak.
I find when I’m doing something away from my desk the
inspirations for writing flow freely.
Even something as simple as a walk through the woods brings thoughts
flitting through my mind like butterflies through the wild flowers.
We were spending a few days in a campground near a lake and
I had ideas for stories coming at me constantly. It was exciting and I looked forward to
sitting in the sunshine and writing them down.
That’s when the distractions took over.
The dragonfly that landed close to me captured
all of my attention. My pen was poised
over the paper but the words that had flooded my mind only moments before
seemed to float away on the breeze.
Then I heard the joyful sound of children laughing and
playing. I looked up to see what was
bringing such happiness. Soon I was
engrossed in playing with my grandchildren and the writing was abandoned.
Later when all was quiet I sat down ready to put my thoughts
on paper. My husband was cooking dinner
and I had no responsibilities at that moment.
The timing should have been perfect to express my creativity. Alas, it was not to be. The sizzle and mouth-watering aromas coming
from the barbeque had me thinking of my stomach instead of the words that had
been in my mind only moments before.
I soon realized that I only needed to jot down a few
thoughts in a journal. They would be the
prompts waiting for me to expand upon at a later time.
Once I was back in my quiet writing area the distractions were
gone and my earlier thoughts resurfaced. I was more prolific than ever before.
I am learning that I need to relax and go with the
flow. Being rigid with my writing schedule
does not work for me when there are adventures that can only be experienced in
this short summer season.
This is the time to soak up the sun as I sit in my lounge
chair and enjoy reading engaging books by several of our talented InScribe authors.
The writing will be there for me when I come back inside. For now, I’m going to enjoy the summer.
www.timewithtandy.com
It certainly is difficult to focus on writing in the summer. So many wonderful distractions. Enjoy the sunshine.
ReplyDeleteYour point is well described, Tandy. The lives of writers have to be about a different kind of balance. And in the summer, the scales often tip to the activity side. But that's okay. Living needs to take priority over writing about living.
ReplyDeleteI believe that adventures are absolutely necessary to be a writer! May you continue to have engaging moments for the rest of the summer.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Tandy. I liked Bobbi's comment that 'Living needs to take priority over writing about living'. So true. Enjoy all those distractions, guilt free!
ReplyDeleteYes, so much to enjoy about the summer. Sound like you are learning to enjoy it without writing pressure. Good for you.
ReplyDeleteI love that someone else takes pictures of dragonflies, and other "distractions"! Maybe that's a trait of being a writer, being sensitive to all that is going on around you? Enjoy this short season, Tandy!
ReplyDelete