Tis The Season! by Lisa Jackson

Yeah, I know, not really.  But then, I’m not talking about Christmas.  I’m talking (or writing) about writing.  Autumn is my favorite season. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love summer.  I spend a lot of time with my friends at the beach or lake and do all of the summer stuff.  We boat, party, clam bake, golf (no, not me, but all of my friends!) and generally have a blast.

But, truthfully, my writing suffers.  When the sun is up and bright and warm, I’d just rather be outside.

But now that Labor Day is over and there’s a definite nip in the morning air, a crispness, I’m happiest.  The nights are cool, which is great for sleeping, and somehow the stars seem brightest at this time of year.  I love the leaves turning, bright days, some wisps of fog and hot apple cider along with bonfires and football.

And best of all, my creative juices begin to flow like lava.  I can’t write fast enough.  It’s as if everything that was bottled up in summer can finally be released.  For example, I’m finishing my spring book and finally the pages are flying past but also I’m getting flashes of plot ideas and characters for upcoming books.  This always happens to me, the time I’m most creative everything hits at once.  It’s feast or famine.  If I tell myself, okay, now it’s time to sit down and plot out a story, I’m dead meat.  But, if, while working on a current book, I read something, ideas start to form!

I don’t know if other authors  have a similar experience, or if it’s some mental condition I’m harboring, but when I’m on, I’m really on and when I’m off . . . okay, then creatively I’m dead. 

People always ask me if I write a certain amount of pages or hours per day or week . . . I guess by now, after reading this, you’ll know my answer is a big, resounding “no.”  I would love to.  I envy those authors with the dedication, determination, skill and creativity to organize their days into writing, research, exercising, reading, whatever. 

Oh, I’ve tried it.  Even got myself a calendar and started marking the pages I was going to turn out on a particular day, fitting that in with the doctor and hair and business appointments.  Guess what?  It didn’t work!  And not only did it not work a little, it didn’t work period.  I’m just not that organized and I guess I never will be.

So, my advice to anyone who’s trying to write or does write, do it your way.  It may not be efficient, but whatever works for you is the right (write) way!  For me, I’m really glad that the writing season is here!