How I'm Adjusting My Writing Routine For Spring and Summer

A few months ago I wrote about how I’m adjusting my writing routine for autumn & winter. Now that we’re well into spring where I live, I’ve been strategizing for the warmer months ahead. My experimentation with a season-based writing flow was quite rewarding last year so I wanted to continue by reflecting on ways I’ll adjust my writing routine for spring & summer.

I’ll try writing new things

For me, spring and summer are all about action and exploration. In that spirit, I’m going to spend this time experimenting and writing new things. Autumn always feels the most transformative for me, and in winter I absorb everything I’ve learned. By the time spring arrives I’m fully ready to just go, so I will. However, I also know myself and the risk of burnout is strongest at this time, so I’ll need to check in and make sure I’m not going too hard on newness.

I’ll write outside more

I do some of my best thinking in the fresh air, and spring and summer weather means that I can do more writing outdoors too. I love sitting on my balcony and having a coffee, watching the world go by. There’s something peaceful yet also active about it. It’s a great environment for writing. And with the warmer temperatures, I can write out there for longer than a few minutes too. Even if I don’t sit out on my balcony to write, I can take walks with the purpose of generating ideas, and write them in a notebook or leave myself a voice note. This is also something I can keep in the back of my mind when on a summer day trip, whether it’s in nature or in town.

I’ll plan my writing day more intentionally

In autumn and winter, I took spontaneous walks throughout the day to work through a novel idea or give myself a break from writing. In spring and summer I’ll have to be a little more intentional about my daily schedule. Because the middle of the day will soon become a more searing time for walks, I’ll focus more on writing at those times and get outdoors earlier or later in the day. Of course I’ll also have to be sure I’m not writing on my balcony at the hottest part of the day. I’ll work around the limitations of the weather and try not to get angry at the heat as I so often do!

I’ll have small daily goals

In spring I feel bursting with momentum and ideas, but in summer I often feel like a pile of wet towels. To make my writing life easier, I’ll set some small daily goals instead of something big and vague like, “Work on novel.” For example, my main two goals for the day could be, “Research name for new character and finalize novella outline.” Smaller goals like this don’t feel overwhelming to me in the sluggish summer heat when I feel about as energetic as, well, the aforementioned pile of wet towels. And in the spring, when I feel like I want to do everything, small daily goals will help tether me to reality.

I’ll be honest: summer is my least favourite season. But every year I try to soften those edges of hatred a little. With this spring and summer writing routine, I hope to finally learn how to stop fighting the season and use its features to my advantage. What things can the warmer months offer for the benefit of your writing routine?