Hi, SE Readers. Joan here with another Five for Friday post. For those of you living in the US, I hope you enjoyed the holiday yesterday. And for our Canada friends, a belated Happy Canada Day.
It’s summer in the northern hemisphere – a time of shorter nights and longer days. Having decided that I detest cold weather, summer has become my favorite season. There are so many fun things to do, especially if you enjoy the outdoors.
And for me, the seasons is a more laid-back time. Yes, I write during the summer months, but not as much as I do during the winter. And there’s nothing wrong with taking it easy for a while unless you’re on a publisher’s deadline.
Today I’d like to share five favorite summer activities. Any or all of them can be useful to your writing.
Several years ago, we vacationed at Big Bend National Park. West Texas has beautiful sunsets.
Vacation! Take a road trip. Travel by train. Fly somewhere you’ve never visited. Go on a cruise. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite. I love road trips because it enables me to see a lot of our beautiful country. Flying is quick and convenient. One of the most relaxing vacations I’ve ever taken was an Alaskan cruise. There’s something nice about not having to worry where you’re going to stop for the night, needing to find a gas station, or deciding where you want to eat. I’ve been limited to day excursions when taking Amtrak, but sometime I would like to do a longer trip and get a sleeping car!
Image courtesy of Pixabay (Creative Commons)
Read. Summer is a good time to catch up on your reading list. I don’t have the time to devote that I once did. Gone are the days when I would come home from work, grab a book and a glass of iced tea, and head for my backyard hammock, but I’m trying to fit in a little more reading this summer. I’m in between writing projects, so its a good time. Sadly, my TBR list grows faster than I can read.
Image courtesy of Pixabay (Creative Commons)
Backyard cookouts/Camping. Who doesn’t enjoy getting outdoors more often? Backyard cookouts and/or pool parties are a great way to relax and have fun. It’s a good time to entertain friends or get to know your neighbors.
Or, if you really like the outdoors, take a camping trip. You don’t have to go far. Check your area for campsites. Fees are usually minimal even if you have a travel trailer or an RV. Tent camping is even cheaper. And it goes without saying, food cooked outdoors tastes so much better!
Globe Life Park, Arlington, Texas. Home of the Texas Rangers.
Local activities. Lots of things happen during the summer. Check your area for outdoor concerts, festivals, fairs, or celebrations. Often these events are free or there is a minimal charge. You don’t have to spend a fortune for a little entertainment. If you like baseball (Craig) and there is a major or minor league team nearby, take in a game. There’s something special about sitting in an outdoor stadium on a warm summer evening.
Tucker is never far from me when I’m at home.
Take a staycation. Funds short? Don’t have the desire to take a long trip? Stay home. Relax. Enjoy. Do nothing. Refresh your mind. Everyone needs a break from their normal routine for a while.
I took a week the end of May. And while much of that time was used for a blog tour, it was nice to be able to sleep as late as I wanted and not have to dress for the office. I was able to recharge my mind as well as get some much needed physical rest. (Pet owners might have to share their favorite spot, but that’s okay.)
You may wonder how any of these things relate to writing. Whether you hold a day job or write full time, we all need a break. By taking a few days away from the keyboard, we come back refreshed and relaxed. We can generate new ideas. If we’re tired, weary and burned-out, our writing will show it. And any one of my suggestions are great ways to look for new story material. Engage in people watching or familiarize yourself with new surroundings. You might be surprised at what story ideas you come up with.
What’s some of your favorite summer activities? Please share in the comments.
Story Empire 
My summers are always filled with traveling, staycations, beach trips, and time spent with friends and family. As a teacher, I’m blessed to have my summers off to recuperate and rejuvenate my spirit. 🙂
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Oh, that is nice. Yvette. My brother taught art for many years, and I have to say I was envious of his summers. Of course, I’m also glad to be able to take time off year round. Sounds like you have wonderful summers!
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For some strange reason WordPress stopped sending me notifications of new posts on Story Empire. I checked my settings and I’m still subscribed. Who the heck knows! Anyway, I will continue to randomly stop by until they decide to put me in the loop again. 🙂 To me, the ideal summer activity would be a handful of books and a beach house with private beach access!! 🙂
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Sometimes technology sucks! I’m not sure what’s going on with WordPress. Hopefully, there are tons of subscribers with the same problem. Love your idea of books and a beach house. Sounds like my idea of relaxation and run. We appreciate your support, Jan.
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I love the idea of a ‘staycation’. Doesn’t work well for me though; I run a retirement village with my husband and we live on site, so weekends, out of hours, and nights often mean getting door knocks and phone calls from residents. When we finally do get around to having time off, it usually means having to leave the village. Which can make a writing career very difficult!
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I can see how that would be a problem. But think of the stories you come across each day!
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Oh yeah, that’s the truth!
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Summers are all about the garden for me, I get very little writing done, lol
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Gardening is fun! (And can be a lot of work.) I understand why you don’t get a lot of writing time in.
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Summers are the best writing times for me. I love to be in the office and watch the blue sky and sunshine. I am on a full-time vacation so I really enjoy all the seasons.
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That sounds wonderful, John. I look forward to the day I’m on full-time vacation.
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You have a lot of living to do before that, Joan. Enjoy it.
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Awh, thanks, John. I do enjoy life. Early retirement would be fun, however. 🙂
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I always do at least one staycation each summer to hang around our pool. It’s so wonderful to be able to relax, and it gives me extra time to catch up on my reading. I also love visiting new places which normally inspire story ideas. We’re taking a trip to Maine in the fall and it will be my first time there. I’m sure I’ll come back with a host of ideas for writing!
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I’m fortunate to accrue a lot of vacation time, so I take one or two staycations each year. I would love to visit Maine. So much history in the New England states. Can’t wait to see what ideas you come up with.
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Staycation? We’re going to take our little wheelie cases on the bus into town and stay for five nights while Cyberson no 2 rips out the bathroom and ( hopefully ) installs a new one, only popping home if summoned. Cyberspouse says I’m not allowed to pop home to water the garden as that would be cheating!
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We had a bathroom remodeled one year and had to stay in a hotel in our hometown. It was interesting in that I tried to look at the down through the eyes of a visitor. (It’s the writer in me.)
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I think minor league games are more fun than major league games. They do more to entertain the audience between innings. (Then again, it might just be the teams I was watching. My poor Pirates…)
Love your list, Joan. And I agree on both points. (1) We all need time to recharge. And (2) any (and all) of these can result in story fodder.
Great post. Happy weekend.
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I agree. Those minor league games are a lot of fun. Sorry about the Pirates. My Rangers haven’t done very well the past few years, so I know the feeling.
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We still have the Boise Hawks. They’re way down the list, but are a minor league team. Haven’t gone yet this year.
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When my brother lived in Midland, Texas several years ago, the California Angels’ AA team was there. We went a few times. It was fun!
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Ooh, staycation is fun … as Priscilla says, no traffic! Hubby and I try to get to visit places in Cornwall for the day within an hour or two of where we live. It’s such a beautiful county and we want to see it. Reading out in the garden is up there on my list, as is having a sneaky G&T on the patio of a summer evening, lol. Thanks for a fun Friday post, Joan 🙂 Reblogged on: https://harmonykent.co.uk/five-for-friday-summer-activities/
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I’m sure the area is beautiful. Visiting England is on my bucket list. And a drink on the patio on a summer evening? Can’t get much better than that!
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Staycations rock, no traffic.:-) We have a fab minor league stadium sort-of nearby in central Virginia. It has picnic areas and fireworks and is generally a fun place to be.
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I’ve been to both major and minor league games. Both are fun. And I know what you mean about the traffic.
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