Spring is springing where I live in central NC. The daffodils and tulips have come and gone. The pear trees are snowing down on street corners–beautiful despite their dead fish aroma. And the pine pollen is fit to bursting (we’re at slight dusting right now but I imagine we’ll be at full on yellow cloud level by the weekend).
We’ve been back in the yard doing our first mow of the season, preparing for fresh mulch, clearing out the debris to make room for spring’s magnificence.
Now is the perfect time to take stock of our writing life as well to see what needs clearing out and what needs a little extra nurturing.
Take a look back at your 2024 word, if you chose one.
Mine was mountain. Meant to connote that this journey will be long and challenging but with pretty views along the way and more fun with friends.
As I look back on the last few months, I can see places where I cursed the mountain, forgetting that the mountain is the goal, not the summit. Time to spread a little mulch around that idea.
Are you sticking to the intention you had for this year so far? What adjustments can you make?
What’s clicking and clunking in your current writing routine?
I wrote about how to analyze your writing for what’s clicking and clunking, but you can easily use this to see what’s working (or not) in your writing routine.
I have made some adjustments this year based on what’s clicking and clunking in my routines:
- I’m attending daily writing dates to stay accountable to my new manuscript
- I am getting more intentional about time blocking and scheduling projects
- I’m adding reflection time to my Friday to look back on the week to see what worked, what didn’t, why, and how to adjust for the week ahead
- I created a new system for content creation to save me time and energy in the long run so I can focus on my writing and my writers
When you have a good writing day or week, take a moment to reflect on the circumstances. Same for a bad day. Are there patterns? There may not be, but noticing that good writing days come on the same days you work out in the morning as opposed to the afternoon, for instance, is important knowledge to have.
What seeds do you want to plant this spring?
After taking a look at your 2024 goals and analyzing what’s working in your routines, what do you hope to see harvested by the end of summer?
Dream, plan, imagine!
For me, I am planting seeds in my manuscript by writing new words. I aim to have a rough draft ready by mid-summer. I am also polishing up the final pieces of a new revision tool I can’t wait to tell you about. Look for that to be blooming in the next few weeks!
These are the things that excite me, much like the promises of warm spring afternoons. While I know some cool or rainy days are par for the course in our up and down southern spring, the payoff will be worth it.
Don’t miss this opportunity to nurture your writing this spring! I can’t wait to see how you bloom!
Is coaching part of the nurturing your writing needs this spring?
Let’s chat and see if we’re a good fit.