The Summer Heat or Writer's Block?

It's July and the temperature here is going to 112 today.  I spoke with a good friend yesterday and she asked about my latest book "Sirens of Swansong." I frowned. I began to explain that in the midst of all my research and preparations, I find it hard to work on my third book. I explained that I still blog and I even plan to go back to doing Yahoo Content articles again, but work on the book remains further down on my list of priorities these days.  She was visibly disappointed and offered that with all the work I have done to promote Realmwalkers these past few years, the joy of writing has lessened since another book will mean a whole new campaign of marketing.

I have blamed it on the summer heat, saying to my husband that it's just too hot to write. We have plenty of air conditioning and we do get out to cool movie theaters, restaurants, and other locations. I am reminded that in the three years of working on Realmwalkers and The Priestess and the Ravenknight, that the summer heat was never a problem. But this year is different. This summer finds me doing little in the way of research about mermaids and the world of Tiaera so that I can continue with my third book.  I have about sixty pages started, the layout is done and I have a notebook filled with character sheets, historical data, story notes and inspiring graphics.

My Sirens Workbook

I have tried to keep motivated on my project by watching pirate and mermaid movies on TV or checking out mermaid/pirate books from the library. I am currently listening to an audio book about mermaids.

But I do not write.

Writer's Block?  Could this be?  Am I "burned-out" and need this time off?

My friend thinks it's possible. She suggests I take this time to do whatever little projects I can to keep me writing in some way or some form. Continue with my blogging, do some short articles, work on a journal and keep on doing whatever writing I can do until I am able to get back to my unfinished book.  Maybe the cooler temps in the autumn will get me back to work on my unfinished book.

Write! Write! Write!  I see that advice in every book about writing. I have started a story about Audrey, my little gnome. I can keep doing posts here about her also. In any case, I will deal with the temperatures here and keep cool, go swimming and write whenever I can. I will find some way to keep motivated, even if it's only to blog here with something I hope you will all find interesting.

If you have any advice or suggestions on how to keep motivated to write, I welcome your feedback. I know all writers go through this sooner or later. Whether it be burn-out, writer's block, or triple digit temperatures, I will finish my book somehow. I just wrote this down and so I can't take it back now.

I will finish my book, as soon as I am able to.

Writing and the Online Clock Timer

Since I became a full-time writer working at home, I have added some weight and now I have to watch my blood pressure. Like anything else, writing can be cruel when one does it for too long. We are often told by health experts to take hourly breaks away from the laptops or computers and now I am paying the price for not doing this.

When I worked with my collaborator, Jack Shepherd, on Realmwalkers, I spent hours without a break almost everyday. I did this also when I wrote The Priestess and the Ravenknight. I kept forgetting to get up and walk or do chores or whatever. It never even occurred to me to buy a kitchen timer of some sort to help me remember. Hours would fly by before I realized I hadn't taken a break.
Well, I think I have an answer to this problem and I wanted to share it with you. No, it's not a Tiaeran timer, but this may help keep you from gaining weight and getting sick. It's an online clock/time/music/video website: http://onlineclock.net/

It has an long list of different types of clocks and timers, in various colors and functions. It's also free and definitely worth a try. Now that I am in the middle of my next book, Sirens of Swansong, I am already using this clock timer for it and it works for me. This reminds me. I should go when this timer goes off and do some archery outside! No, wait, it's too hot now. Maybe later! But I can go do something else to stretch my legs and get some exercise. I know! Dance! Dance and do a load of laundry!

Till then, back to this post.

In the world of Tiaera, time is not as important as death makes time not so precious as in our real world. Thanks to Goddess Astria and the druids, Tiaerans don't have to worry about dying as we may. And despite all the hours spent in the libraries and great scholarly halls, reading and writing doesn't affect my fictional characters. Besides, their life is still mostly medieval and so there is a lot of physical work that needs to be done. This helps to keep the inhabitants of Tiaera healthier and stronger. I guess the closest thing they would have for timers would be hour glasses. Sun dials would only work outside and only when the weather allowed. I also hear that special candles could be used as timers. Marked in hour long sections, one would be able to measure time as the wax melted from notch to notch. For more information about candle clocks there is a wiki about them. CANDLE CLOCKS  No doubt, the tiaerans used these as they could afford them. I can imagine Audrey now, dipping candles at her convent.

Photo by www.myrandburg.co.za

I am sure there are other types of modern clocks and music players for those of us who work at our desks all day. If you know of any other site that offers a similar clock timers you would recommend, please leave a comment and share it with us.