How to Write Even When You Don't Want To

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How to Write Even When You Don't Want To

By Patricia Fry

The whole country is experiencing extraordinary heat this summer and, at least for some of us, our traditionally hottest months are yet to come.

Everyone is suffering. Those of us without central air conditioning or whose window units aren't keeping up with the heat must find creative ways to stay cool. Some writers are contending with smoke and threats from nearby wildfires. And countless thousands of people are experiencing power outages. Those writers in St. Louis have been without power for an entire week now. And they're having temps in the triple digits.

Of course, it's almost impossible to write when the first thing on your mind is survival-- when the only way you can get cool is by driving around with your car air conditioner on and it's impossible to find refrigerated food anywhere in town. However, knowing my friends in St. Louis, they're jotting down their observations and experiences. They are creating storylines and coming up with enough article ideas to keep them writing for the next few years.

But what about those of us who are just a bit distracted because of the heat? I know how it is (it was 112 here over the weekend). You're hot and you're uncomfortable. Your body is exhausted, your brain feels fried and all of this discomfort is distracting. Perhaps you feel like a prisoner in your own home because it's just too hot to go outside. You live for that time in the evening when the outside temperature is cooler than the inside temperature and you can open the doors and windows.

How do you write when you are so preoccupied by how the heat is affecting you?

I write very early in the morning before the heat settles into my office. I can usually tolerate the temperature in here until about noon and then I must resort to desperate measures. I drink plenty of water, of course, and I treat myself to a Popsicle most days. I also use a trick I learned when I was younger and had a pool. It's called the wet bathing suit solution. I put on my bathing suit and jump in the shower. Then I wear the wet bathing suit while I write. When the suit starts to dry, I jump in the shower again. One writer I know uses the same concept with her regular clothes. Rather than be miserable all day, she holds her tank top or tee shirt under running water until it's soaked, wrings it out, and then wears it while working. It's amazing how much cooler you are when you are wearing wet clothing.

I don't know about you, but when I'm hot, I have trouble concentrating. In fact, I don't have much enthusiasm for writing when I'm feeling too hot. So it pays to find a way to make yourself more comfortable. Here are some ideas for keeping to your writing schedule even in this unbearable heat:

Put your bad mood to good use in your writing: Heat is stressful and it can affect one's mood. There's more domestic violence when it is hot. As a writer, you can capitalize on that bad mood by using the hot days to work on your dark fiction. Flesh out the most despicable character in the story you're writing, for example.

Write a poem, story or article related to the heat. This is also a good way to journal and to, perhaps, find solutions to your uncomfortable dilemma. Maybe, though journaling, you'll decide that it is time to purchase that air conditioner for your office. Think about it-- can you afford to be nonproductive? If the heat build up in your office is keeping you from writing, put out $300 for a small air conditioner. I've even seen new ones as cheap as $150. You'll surely retrieve your investment promptly just in your productivity level.

Send out query letters. You should have query letters already written for articles you want to pitch as well as for the book you're working on. This is a good time to be sending them out to appropriate magazines and publishing houses. You don't have to write anything new. Sending query letters can be a no-brainer. Just be sure that you are targeting the appropriate editor/publisher.

Think winter. That is, write about things related to the cooler months. This is the time you should be pitching articles for publication in December through March, anyway. Here are some article ideas:

*Cool places to visit with your family (or your honey or your girlfriends) in January.

*Great holiday gifts that don't cost a lot.

*Relationship tips for those sometimes volatile holiday gatherings.

*Great holiday party ideas.

*Creative ideas for helping a needy family at Christmastime.

*How to manage a successful family gift exchange.

*Things you can make for holiday giving.

*How to protect your health when flying during the cold and flu season.

*Volunteer opportunities for the whole family. How to go out and gather holiday smiles.

Switch activities. Are you working on a book? And you don't feel like writing in the heat? Go do your Christmas shopping. You'll be inside in the air conditioning and thinking about the holidays might just cool you off. In December, you can write right through those days and weeks that you would normally devote to Christmas shopping.

Pick and choose your projects. There are ways to produce and achieve even when your brain is compromised by the heat. Organize your desk, file the items that have been collecting for two or three weeks in your in-basket, delete your accumulation of old e-mails or write a book promotion or writing plan covering the next few months.

Write a chapter or an article that doesn't take a lot of brain power. Organize it, outline it, work on developing a character. If it is a reference book, compile your resource list or start working on the index.

Do some book promotion. Do you have a press release written? Just find a directory of newspapers, libraries or review sites and send the press release to appropriate e-mail addresses. This takes little thought, yet it is one of your more important tasks. You'll feel as though you are accomplishing something and you are. This will lift your spirits even if your body feels worn out from the heaviness of the heat.

Book some speeches for appropriate clubs and organizations. If you have written a local history book, arrange to speak before local civic organizations and historical societies. Perhaps your book is an exciting novel or a how-to or a self-help book on an interesting subject. Is it directed at women? Contact local business women's clubs, the Red Hat Society, women's community clubs, Christian women's groups, and women's organizations related to different industries. Are you planning a trip? Contact bookstores and radio stations along your route to set up some signings and speaking gigs.

Do some studying or research. Find a cool spot under a shade tree or in front of a fan and read an instructional, educational or reference book related to the subject of your writing or on the subject of writing or publishing. Do you need to know how to write a book proposal? Are you interested in promotional ideas? Do you want more information about the process of writing a book? Read books on these topics. I also highly recommend my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.

Who says that you can't be productive when you're feeling drained by this oppressive heat? Triple digit temps, even those in the high 90s day after day after day, can be extremely annoying and exhausting. But this shouldn't be an excuse for a writer to slough off. Avoid writing now and you'll get into the habit of taking time off whenever the notion suits you. I can hear the excuses now: "I have spring fever," "It's too windy to write," "It's too cold," "I have a hangnail."

Now, a word to those of you who are experiencing gorgeous, sunshiny, mild weather-- those of you who are getting a comfortable night's sleep: what's your excuse for not writing? Is the lure of the out of doors distracting you? Is it just too lovely to work inside? Well, go outside and write. Sure, take your laptop or your pen and pad and let the beauty inspire you.

Patricia Fry is the author of 24 books, including eight that are writing/publishing-related. Her latest book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, is getting rave reviews. (See some of them on the book page at Amazon.com. Or order this book at http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html)

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