Summertime Reading Hacks

For some, summertime means vacations, faraway trips, and high adventure. For others, warm days may be filled with visiting relatives, neighborhood barbecues, and gardening. While those special times may bring new discoveries and delights, it can also disrupt the usual habits of everyday life. And for writers that can mean a very unproductive season.

What’s an author to do to keep her head in the game? Podcasts on the go can sustain those creative juices anytime, anyplace. Check out a few titles below:

• Amie Kaufman on Writing—This short (around 10 minute) podcast tackles a new question about writing every week with topics like world-building, sharing vulnerability in your writing, choosing first or third person POV, and avoiding cliches and backstory dumps. It’s worth the listen for Amie’s soothing Australian accent.

• Fiction Writing Made Easy—This 30-minute podcast provides “simple, actionable, and step-by-step writing strategies” for new or seasoned authors.

• The Writer’s Mindset—If you have a little more time (say 45 minutes or so), check out this little gem about how writers’ mindsets can hold them back with self-doubt, anxiety, imposter syndrome, etc. Each episode strives to leave you “feeling inspired, uplifted, and ready to get writing.”

• Grammar Girl—Looking for a few nuts and bolts on the writer’s craft? This podcast “provides short [about 20 minute], friendly tips to improve your writing and feed your love of the English language.”

Other summer activities for the literary-inclined include journaling. Summer escapades provide perfect opportunities to gather story and character ideas. While waiting in that Disneyland queue, for instance, take note of the personalities and attire around you. Could that gum-smacking dude with the purple buzz cut fit into your next ensemble cast? How about that snippet of conversation overheard when mom mixed up the salt and flour whilst baking her cake, making everyone retch over dessert—could that little tidbit end up in a scene? On that scary zipline or thrilling jet ski trip, savor the sights, smells, and feels. Afterward, jot it all down in your cell phone notes (a portable journal always in your pocket) for future reference.

If family or friends come over, make a game of an impromptu critique group. Provide a story prompt to the guests along the lines of your work in progress and give everyone two minutes to rattle off their version of events. Could be a great way to generate plot twists. Or describe one of your main characters and ask them what would make them love (the heroine) or hate (the villain) even more.

How about a crazy, out of the box strategy? Quit your day job, move to an exotic locale, and write full-time. That sounds more like the opening chapter of a rom-com than real life, but it’s kind of fun to daydream.

The last tip embraces self-care. If writing feels like your happy place, make sure you reserve the time to make it happen. Even in the disruptive summer months, routines help alleviate stress and anxiety. Indeed, research has found recurring practices establish “healthier sleeping cycles … with better mental health and minimize[d] risk of developing emotional difficulties.” (source)

Relish the summer while it lasts. After all, the days are already getting shorter and soon there’ll be plenty of nights by the fire to craft those stories. Happy writing!