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Writing During the Summer by Jill Kemerer

Writing Full Time During the Summer

There’s a tug-of-war within me all summer long. You know, the one that says, “Get to work!” while the other says, “Get out there and have fun!”

It’s especially bad right now. Since it’s the middle of July, I’m hoping my reluctance to stick with my schedule has peaked. I doubt it.

Writing full time during the summer pushes my self control to the limits.

I’d simply rather be having fun. Who wouldn’t?

We’ve been blessed to spend several weekends this summer with extended family. It’s a welcome change from last year when we were isolated. But after weekends surrounded by friends and family, I always need extra time to decompress. And my writing schedule really doesn’t allow much extra time this year.

This is where creating a weekly and daily goal list keeps me on track. The downside? I’m working longer days to make up for the fun weekends. And I would much rather to be out on my deck, soaking up the sun in the afternoons, instead of inside writing!

That’s the thing, though. Just because I’m self-employed and make my own schedule doesn’t mean I can take extended time off. I have deadlines, and they aren’t just suggestions. I don’t mind, though. I’m doing what I love, and I want my career to continue to climb.

There are always tradeoffs. If I scheduled my deadlines differently to allow for more downtime, I would have fewer releases, and I would make less money. No thanks!

At this point in my life, I prefer to forego lazy summer afternoons to release more books and earn more money. In the future, that might change or it might not. But for now, I’m pushing through the middle-of-summer tug-of-war, and so far, I’m winning!

Do you write during the summer? Is it challenging for you? What helps keep you motivated?

There is still time to enter the BIG Christmas in July Reader Giveaway! Go HERE for my blog stop and directions!

Jill Kemerer is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of heartwarming, emotional, small-town romance novels often featuring cowboys. She hopes to encourage readers through her books the way so many books have encouraged her. Jill's essentials include coffee, caramels, a stack of books, her mini-doxie, and long walks outdoors. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two almost-grown children. For more information, visit her website, jillkemerer.com.

This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. Great job getting those hours and words in, Jill! I’m glad you’re making time on the weekends to spend with family and friends, though. Those are crucial times to rejuvenate the part of us that craves people.

    I’m writing this summer. I’m on a deadline for a short story to be part of King’s Daughters’ Writing Camp’s second story collection. (My publishing debut was a story in their first collection, called Anything.) But I’m also imposing some deadlines on myself to try to get my first novel published within the next year. I’m pretty excited about it, but I have been struggling with hitting my daily average on word counts… until someone shared the following quote with me: “If you’re going to be obsessive about anything in the writing business, make it your word quota.” -James Scott Bell- After reading that, something clicked in my mind and helped me push past the mental obstacles that were causing me problems. So now I’m hitting or surpassing some medium-sized daily quotas and pushing closer and closer to my usual averages.

    I also adored this quote I stumbled on yesterday: “Write what you know. That should leave you with a lot of free time.” -Howard Nemerov- Research matters, and I love digging in to it as needed.

    Jill, I’m rooting for you! Keep up the great work, friend.

    1. Thanks for your support, Andrea! The short story sounds fun! Yes, the mental obstacles with word count are REAL. Keep pushing yourself!! The Nemerov quote cracked me up!!

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