Expectation:
1. I
will have so much time to write. I could get a whole novel finished if I wanted
to. This is now an uninterrupted opportunity to really perfect my craft.
2. I
will be able to write in a range of wonderfully sunny locations- my garden,
outside cafes, opposite lakes in country parks. I can pop a dress and
sunglasses on, pack a little lunch and off I go.
3. I
will have so much time to plot, plan and seek out sources of inspiration that
there is no possible way I will get writer’s block.
4. I
will be ever so motivated. Every day. I might even get up early and do that 5am
writers club thing I have seen on Twitter.
Reality:
1.
Before I know it, it is the final week of my
holiday and I have done a grand total of zero things writing related. The time
has flown by and has been made up of weddings, trips away and life admin.
Before I knew it, writing time was swiftly replaced by optician appointments
and going to the bank. Who knew adulting left so little time for imagination
and creativity?
2.
Summer for me, is always a time of wishful
thinking. I always envision endless sunny days for the full four weeks, but we
all know the Great British Summertime just ain’t that! Rain, rain, more rain…drizzle…
clouds, wind, perhaps the odd thunderstorm. And when we did get four or five
days of successive sun, it was so precious that I prioritised socialising over
writing, and when I did think about writing, I decided I was “too hot” and
opted for reading a book instead- that one was totally my fault.
Also, the ‘popping a dress on’ thing is 100% not reality. By the time I have
shaved, painted my toenails and done all those arduous and ultimately pointless
things I feel I ‘have’ to do as a ‘female preparing to step into summertime’
the clouds are back and it has started lightly raining again.
3.
It is true, I visited some wonderfully
inspirational places this summer which should have given me an endless range of
creative ideas. However, instead of using them to plot something useable, I
decided to live in the moment as it is so rare in the working year (and after
all the lockdowns) that I get this opportunity. I wanted to visit some
beautiful places in the UK and spend time with appreciating them with my
husband, not scribbling down notes in my notebook. As this was the case, I will
just have to bank some of the ideas inspired by these places for late use….
4.
Summertime and free time does not increase
motivation. I was SO tired once I finished work that I just wanted to sleep for
the first week. There was no way I was getting up for a 5am writers club. I
wanted to lay in and indulge in all my lazy glory of not having anything to do.
And I definitely took that too far, because 3 weeks later I am now wallowing in
my laziness and wondering where all that productive time has gone!
It’s okay though- there’s always next summer!
