Insecure Writers Support Group badgeSpring!  It’s finally here, maybe.  And the Insecure Writers Support Group hint of the month is (roughly):

Do you find it easier writing in spring when everything is growing and things are looking fresher?

What I usually do in spring

In past years I’ve been doing the A to Z Challenge and sometimes the CampNanoWriMo April challenge as well.  Both involve a lot of heavy blogging or writing or both.  Once I get down to writing it’s come happily enough, but I don’t think it’s got anything to do with spring.

What then happens in spring

garden in spring

When I get into writing and blogging, especially in March and April, the garden goes mad.  Despite my clever plan of write, do half an hour in the garden, then write again, the garden gets away.  There are too many gardening jobs that I don’t enjoy (pulling out nettles, for example) so the distraction of writing becomes just that.  I do the things I prefer, and boof!! the nettles are five feet tall and have taken over the garden. There are nettles all the way down the right hand side in the picture above, taken last Thursday. I’ve screened them out! But… I have cut the grass! (The blue flowers are forget-me-nots, which self-seed and make a great display. They hide many sins.)

… and then…

And then there’s golf.  Once upon a time I would happily fit in a game or two of golf a week during the uncertain weather of spring. Then in the summer I’d play three or even four times a week, matches and competitions being what they are (all over the place).  These last two springs I’ve been organising the team competitions, which started in late March, and organising teams is like herding cats…  Don’t get me wrong, I love organising teams.  I love planning.  Preferably with other people not changing their minds and spoiling all my beautifully logical arrangements!

So am I writing this spring?

wandering-raven-merchant-by-dani-english
April: Wandering Raven merchant

I am not. My muse has taken a holiday. Even my editing muse has temporarily gone on strike. The one bit of writing I need to finish is the story I’m releasing in monthly instalments on the Story Reading Ape every second Sunday of the month.  I’m now about four episodes ahead of current, but I want to tie up the whole thing so it makes sense, and necessary clues or red herrings are dropped in early enough to keep people interested. At present it’s going far too slowly.  Development is one thing, interesting reading may be another.

Well, at least I know what I’ve got to fix. So, yes, I am writing something this spring, but it’s in between golf, gardening and something else going on in my life. And only the really important writing is getting done. Even flash fiction seems to have taken a hike, which is a shame as I’d identified an opportunity that ends on 31st May.

How about you?

Writing + spring = ???

Thank you to this month’s IWSG Co-Hosts:
JQ Rose, C. Lee McKenzie, Raimey Gallant, & E.M.A Timar! Why not visit them?

And thank you also to Shannon Laurence (the Warrior Muse) for the shout-out 🙂

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Is writing easier in Spring? #IWSG
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12 thoughts on “Is writing easier in Spring? #IWSG

  • 2 May, 2018 at 9:22 am
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    Love the photo of your garden 🙂 Sometimes we need a break from writing so we can charge ahead when we have the energy and motivation again.

    Ronel visiting on Insecure Writer’s Support Group day: Autumn Decisions

    • 2 May, 2018 at 1:15 pm
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      Glad you can’t see the nettles, Ronel. But yes, I love my garden too, and the leaves that overwintered under their fleecy covers are much appreciated by both me and the guinea pigs!

  • 2 May, 2018 at 4:00 pm
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    Like you, I’m a gardener, so I have a lot of things to attend to outside. It’s a hard balancing act, but I have no trouble sleeping at night! I’ll bet the same is true for you.

    • 2 May, 2018 at 5:36 pm
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      I’ve been sleeping much better lately, thanks! Loved your Tick Tock story!

  • 2 May, 2018 at 4:05 pm
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    Ha! I have been using gardening (there are ALWAYS weeds to pull!) as a means of avoiding all sorts of other tasks, from writing to painting.

    I realized reading your comments that writing a serial is different from just writing a story. You have to give the whole thing a narrative arc, but each story needs to be both interesting and complete enough to read alone, especially with a month between installments. Not an easy task you set yourself.

    • 2 May, 2018 at 5:37 pm
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      Yes. I didn’t do enough of it before I started….

  • 2 May, 2018 at 4:12 pm
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    Argh, nettles! When I lived in Germany, they were the bane of my garden, and always lurking along forest paths. Sounds like you have a very pleasant routine in springtime. Best of luck with planting those red herrings and clues.

    • 2 May, 2018 at 5:38 pm
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      Nettles are a problem. I had a good go at them last year and they seemed to enjoy the treatment. And they grow in the rain when I don’t want to go out to them. Grrr!

  • 2 May, 2018 at 5:40 pm
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    Wow you do have a busy spring and you are doing things (mostly) what you enjoy. Weeding is not fun!! But at least you’re enjoying the outdoors. Love your energy and enthusiasm.
    JQ Rose

  • 3 May, 2018 at 10:50 am
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    You started out running at the beginning of the year. I have your Princelings series on my iPad. It’s time you took a break and re-energized. I’m happy to hear that you’re doing just that.
    All the best.

    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

    • 3 May, 2018 at 3:51 pm
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      Hmm, it doesn’t seem like a break, somehow, although I did go to the movies today! All the best to you too, Pat 🙂

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