Summertime is right around the corner. Actually it’s been summer since last summer in California with our warm-sunny winter days and zero rain. But all you lovely folks who got hammered by polar vortexes or tornadoes or floods this year don’t want to hear about that. So let me tell you something you do want to hear.
Take time during the long days of summer to read a lot and write. A lot. Summer is a very different atmosphere in which to read and write than the winter months when you are cooped up inside to avoid the windy coldness. Summer represents a time to open up your mind to possibilities and expand your range in both writing and reading. Learn. Reach. Broaden your tastes. Enjoy the bounty of all the different kinds of books out there. You never know how it might change your life. Here are some examples of what you can do in the summer when the weather is uplifting and the long days filled with possibilities.
1. Read books outside the genre or category you write in. Besides expanding your vocabulary, you might also learn new ways to plot, pace, write dialogue, develop characters, describe action, etc. And reading books in a whole different oeuvre might even introduce you to a new author or category of books that you find yourself attracted to.
2. Write in the sunshine during the day. Take your laptop or tablet to the park for lunch and write a short story about what you see. Or work on that scene in your WIP that has been giving you trouble. But just writing in the sunshine is a different animal. Try it and see what happens.
3. If you write nonfiction, read some fiction. And vice versa. Sometimes we develop tunnel vision and we need to make sure to break bad habits we may have developed over the long winter months. Summer has more than just good beach reads. Find some weighty tome if you write mysteries, and give a biography a whirl. Or if you like books you can sink your teeth into, try a genre novel that you can breeze through in one sitting. Same with short stories if you’re a novelist and novels if you’re a poet.
4. Try at least one new author you’ve never heard of. This could be a boom or a bust, but at least you’ve gone outside your comfort zone.
5. Read a self-published book. Especially true for the traditional publishing purists. You can’t knock something if you’ve never experienced it. So read a self-published book. Even a freebie. And write a blog post about the experience. Share!
6. Read a bestseller. Conversely, if you’re staunchly on the self-publishing bandwagon, read a summer bestseller. Then maybe you’ll start to understand the amazing value of professional editors, cover designers, a sales team, a marketing department, and all the other publishing professionals who are damn good at their jobs.
Here are a few ideas from me. What are your summer plans, literati?
