Maybe you are already meeting your reading and writing goals for the summer. But maybe not. Fortunately, at DIY MFA we have some posts that will help you read and write more this summer.

Six Ways to Write Through the Lazy Summer Days

A lot of people like to take a break during the summer. I think this is partly because we’re conditioned from kindergarten through twelfth grade (and even into college) to view those 12 weeks as the only bit of freedom from the drudgery of daily life that we get. I get it.

But I think you can still take a break from the daily grind and get some words on the page. Former DIY MFA columnist Bess McAllister first shared this article in 2014 about how you can write through the dog days of summer without losing your cool. This post is all about maximizing the fun that summer has to offer while still meeting your writing goals.

#5onFri: Five Hacks to Help You Write More This Summer

This #5onFri from former columnist Savannah Cordova offers even more tips on how to get the most out of summer and meet your goals. This post walks you through how to get your writing done early so that you can reward yourself with some pool time and a nice cool, refreshing drink (or however you like to reward yourself).

I think rewards are an excellent way to help find the motivation you need to knock out the work. Yes, writing is fun and that’s why we do it, but—let’s face it—it’s also work, so be sure to reward yourself accordingly.

Four Ways to Build Accountability into Summer Reading

I’m sure I’m not the only one here who knocked their library’s summer reading program out of the park each year! Summer is just made for reading. Whether you’re hanging out poolside or beating the heat with a nice book inside, books are a great companion. They keep your brain engaged and provide hours of entertainment.

Summer is a great time to make some headway on your mountainous TBR pile, but sometimes a little accountability helps. Check out this post by former DIY MFA columnist Terri Frank on how to meet your reading goals for the summer.

Prepare Your LGBTQ+ Summer Reading List with Ten Must-Reads

Maybe you’re wanting to get a bit more diversity in your reading list, but don’t know where to start. Let me suggest this amazing list of LGBTQ+ books put together by current DIY MFA columnist, Adam W. Burgess. 

He’s done a great job of assembling a list of books across genres for your reading pleasure. Really! There are novels, graphic novels, poetry collections, and non-fiction books on this list. Plus, with each title on the list, he provides a bit of an explanation on why it’s recommended reading.

June 2022 Leisure Learning

OK. This post just came out, but I wanted to highlight it nonetheless. Each month, columnist Melissa Haas puts together suggested resources to engage your creative brain. The things highlighted in these posts run the gamut from documentaries to digital collections and even literary video games that you should check out. I can’t tell you how much I love this fabulous monthly resource that she puts together!

The items in this list are ones you can access at home during a staycation or perhaps even use to plan a literary trip. She even includes a family-friendly pick each month for something people of all ages can enjoy. Check it out!

Be Well, Write Well: Embrace Your Season

All of the resources so far focus on the season of the year, but this post by former DIY MFA columnist Leanne Sowul is all about your season of life. Maybe summer isn’t inherently more or less busy than the other seasons of the year. That doesn’t mean you can’t develop habits and routines that help you meet your goals.

This is a great post for anybody who is considering putting together a new routine for themselves. Truth be told, it’s a reflection post I need to work through as I am on the verge of a new start and am figuring out how to structure my days so I can live the life I want to live.

Tell us in the comments: What are your summer reading and writing plans?

Lori Walker is the Operations Maven at DIY MFA. Though she’s fallen off the wagon as a writer, she’s hoping to return to writing essays (perhaps even a novel!) through her involvement with DIY MFA. She is also Launch Manager, Web Editor, and Podcast Producer for DIY MFA and a Book Coach. She resides in Smalltown, Oklahoma, with her husband and their cat, Joan Didion. You can follow her on Instagram at @LoriTheWriter.

The post Summer Round-up Post appeared first on DIY MFA.

I remember reading that line, in a classroom in Texas in August, with my collared uniform shirt scratching my neck, thinking, “Compare someone you love to a summer’s day? WHY. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?”

Well, apparently in other parts of the country, summer is quite pleasant. It’s warm during the day and cools off at night, so you can wear cute sundresses and cardigans and prance around in your sandals eating ice cream and lemonade and lying the pool without wanting to die. But in Texas and many other places, summer is sweltering miserable and the only way to get rid of the constant drip of sweat on your face is to douse yourself in said pool or air conditioning.

Whether you’re so sun-shocked you’re basically comatose or spending breezy days on the beach at Cape Cod, summer can have a stultifying effect on one’s ability to do anything productive. Summer can either be so pleasant or so horrific that even normally hard working and focused people like writers can get a little . . . lazy. Here’s a few tips on how to write through the dog days without losing your cool.

Look at the Summer as a Whole

There’s often a big difference between summer and the rest of the year; work slows down, less people are in the office, school is out, the movies are awesome. You might usually spend Saturdays writing, but have a few beach days scheduled. Or maybe you usually write while the kids are at school, and now they’re home. You might have more or less time, but it’s probably a bit different from your normal routine.

We get hit with changes to our routine all the time. When you can anticipate the changes, you can be a lot more effective in working with them and still getting work done. With summer, it’s easy to look ahead. Take a morning–or even just a few minutes– and map your summer out. See what weekends you will actually have time to write. What weeks are totally out. And you can have a better perspective from which to create goals.

No matter what the task, humans are far more likely to accomplish it if they set goals. We talk about this all the time at DIY MFA–setting challenging, but attainable goals will set you on your way to achieving them. When you look at your schedule for the summer, you can figure out what is feasible. Perhaps you need to scale back daily writing because the kids are home, but can get more writing done on a planned weekend away. The point is to make it work for you.

Think Outside Your Box

Let’s face it. It might not be feasible to write a horror novel set in the Dark Ages from the front porch of your vacation home in Montauk. There’s a reason there’s such a thing as “Beach Reads.” It’s hard to get in the mood to write something epic and dramatic and tragic when you’re sipping a pina coloda with your toes in the sand. It’s also hard (and possibly reckless) to bring a laptop into said sand. Or maybe not. Maybe, for you, writing on the beach is the perfect time for murder and mayhem. You know yourself and your writing better than anyone so, keeping in mind what your schedule now looks like, set some summer goals.

Here’s a few ideas:

1. Put your manuscript away — I know. This sounds terrible. But just about everyone recommends putting your manuscript away and not looking at it. The longer time away, the better. Summer might just be the perfect time for this. The publishing industry slows to a crawl, so sending query letters might not be the best idea anyway. And when you emerge tanned and ready to work in September, you can take a much more objective look at what you’ve written.
2. Beef up your reading list — If summertime makes you lazy, it might be a great time to do a more passive activity like reading. Not that reading doesn’t require concentration and motivation, but it’s less so than writing. You’ll probably have quite a few lazy days–make them a little more productive and still just as enjoyable by reading books that will enhance your writing. Do you write romance? Make a list of the classics. Thrillers? Maybe it’s time to break out some Lee Child. Or read outside your genre. See if anything else catches your eye. Another great option is to offer to Beta Read for other writers. Make some friends and try out your editing chops by going to town on someone else’s manuscript. Now that’s a lazy-day solution!
3. Daydream — Bring a notebook and get thinking! Seriously, some of the most important work writers do is just thinking about possibilities, working through problems and making up stories. I spend hours on the subway every day, but consider it writing time because I plug in my headphones, get my book playlist going, and think through my story. When you do get back to the page, you’ll spend a lot less time pencil-tapping and a lot more time writing.
4. Socialize — We  might have less time (or motivation) to write in the summer, but we can still use it productively. Maybe writing a whole manuscript is too much–what about a blog post? Summer is a great time to do a side project like figuring out your social media. Do some research. Make mistakes. Social media can take up a lot of headspace–but it is quite necessary for writers today. Summer is a great time to try out a new platform or reach some new friends. You might find something that works for you, and enhances rather than burdens your writing life.
5. Retreat — Do you have a long weekend? Find some buddies and an Air B&B. Sometimes all you need is a few days away to get yourself refueled. Even just going to a different location and turning off the WiFi can give you the motivation and concentration to get new words on the page.
6. Research — This is another necessary part of writing that we often push to the back burner. In one of my books, a character is a sharp shooter. I’d never actually shot a gun, though. My solution? I found a shooting range, a groupon, and took a class. Is your character an ocean diver? Maybe this is your excuse to stop googling and get in the ocean yourself. Or maybe your character is from California, and you’ve never seen the redwood forest. Family vacation, much? It’s the perfect way to have fun, not ostracize your family and friends and also accomplish something productive.

And there you have it! Six ways you can till be a lazy bum sitting on the beach, sipping your pina colada and writing up a (summer) storm.

Bess Cozby writes epic stories in expansive worlds from her tiny apartment in New York City. By day, she’s an Editor at Tor Books, and Web Editor for DIY MFA. Her work is represented by Brooks Sherman of the Bent Agency. Tweet her at @besscozby, contact her at bess@diymfa.com, or visit her website at www.besscozby.com.

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