Summer Inspiration

For those who live in the Northeast, summer is a much-anticipated season. Sun streams through the windows bathing us in its light and warmth. The summer air is soft and inviting. There’s a stunning palette of colors to behold and a beautiful variety of assorted flowers. Mornings bring chirping sounds, the tapping of woodpeckers in trees, a gentle zephyr, butterflies, children playing and laughing, and neighbors greeting one another with happy smiles. We’re stepping into the healing power of Vitamin D, toes in the sand, cocktail in hand, barbeques, fun and sun, and a plethora of writing inspiration.

Writers are like drops of summer rain, all different, all beautiful in their own unique writing ways. We just need a moment of soothing comfort to collect our thoughts and ideas. Writers are lucky to have the beauty of nature spinning around them. Summer is amazing and awe-inspiring. Meditate for a few minutes in the sun, on a hammock, or under a shady tree as you connect with nature.

It's time to take inspired action. Revamp your writing space by adding cool summer colors and coastal décor. Spice up the space with summer quotes, images, and motivational notes. Clean up your desk and throw out old sticky notes. Make a new writing to-do list that includes visiting parks, gardens, and outdoor spaces with beauty and scenery that inspires.

Step away from writing for a while. Snag a power nap or turn up your summer playlist while cruising in the car with the windows down. Head to the beach. Listen to roaring waves crash on shore and seagulls calling one another. Plant your feet in the sand by the water, feel the clumpy damp grains squish between your toes. Get a whiff of that suntan lotion, the moms and dads are spraying on their kids. Soak up the rays and relax in the sunshine. Munch on a bowl of refreshing summer fruit salad and down an ice-cold lemonade. Take snapshots in your mind to use in your writing or grab a pen and note pad out of your beach bag, writers usually have them at the ready, and make a list of what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.

With the evening comes stunning sunsets, moonbows, and cricket-song. Hamburgers and hotdogs, sizzling on the grill, waft through the air. Fill your plate with all the summer sides and enjoy eating al fresco. Roast marshmallows and make gooey smores with your family. Meet friends at an outdoor concert, pass the snacks, and, ahem, (Over 21’s Only) the wine hidden in the coffee thermos.

For summer lovers, and writers, the season has inspiration galore. Incorporate summer into your story. Describe a romantic scene at the beach, a couple walking hand-in-hand, wading in the cool water, then picnicking on a blanket spread over the sand. As the sun sets, and beach-goers head home or back to their hotel rooms, the couple is alone. What happens next? Are they staying at the hotel? Do they pack up, shower together, dress up, then head to dinner? Maybe they make their way to the pool instead to take a quick dip before proceeding to the swim-up bar for cocktails. Perhaps someone is stalking them, waiting for an opportunity to rob and assault them. Oh, my, things can turn dark quickly, even in the summer.

Suppose the summer scene takes place on a secluded lake complete with cabin, in a post-apocalyptic world. The couple might be in survival mode, dressed in army fatigues, and sporting guns. The temperature rises as the sun beats down. They’re feeling the heat as snarling wolves close in. What happens to the romance? A helicopter flies over, are they friend or foe?

Expand on the above ideas. Think outside the summer writing box. Write with courage and surprises. Take readers on a journey with your characters and the season. Pull out all the summer stops. Use real-life experiences to help authenticate your scenes. Add a thrilling twist to a chapter with a lackluster feel by bringing in the aesthetics of summer, locales by the sea, outdoor events, the starry night sky, the dark side of summer, and more. Check that you’re using the five senses, with summer in mind, or at least two or three in every scene. Love-bomb your paragraphs with distinctive summer words.

HAVE FUN!