In England we are currently in the middle of a heatwave – the hottest spell for seven years. It’s been given a grade 3 by the Met office, I don’t know what exactly it means but it sounds serious 🙂 And I’ve become concerned about writers in this heat.
Working inside at home with a hot laptop is not enjoyable and if you’re like me, my motivation crawls to a halt in these temperatures. So here are my heatwave survival tips for writers:
1. Reward yourself – for every 1,000 words you write or edit, have an ice-cream. Calories don’t count if you’re hot. Fact.
2. Change your story setting – if you’re writing a dark book in winter, change it to a summer romance where everyone spends the day around a pool.
3. Wear appropriate writing clothes – writers often wear sweat pants or no trousers at all when writing but be careful of your hot laptop on bare legs, it won’t be enjoyable. I suggest putting your laptop on a table to avoid injury or using a cushion. Kim Curran (@kimcurran) has shared a tip to put your trousers in the freezer for a few hours before wearing (we do not accept responsibility for any damage to your clothes or body parts if you try this though :))
4. Be careful writing outdoors – if you take your laptop into the garden because of sun glare you might end up squinting and get wrinkles. I wear sunglasses and find it hard to see the screen clearly but this allows me to assume what I’m writing is excellent so win win.
5. Support your writer friends – the authorities warn us to keep an eye on vulnerable people so let’s all check in with each other on Twitter obv (writers don’t talk or go out) to make sure we haven’t melted like an evil witch.
Or failing this, close your laptop and lie out in the garden as it will probably be raining next week and we all need a break now and then.
Do you have any survival tips to help your fellow writers?
Victoria
xoxo
Pen and paper in the shade!
This is a good idea but you may get hand ache if you write a lot. Remember to take regular breaks 😉
Always take regular breaks.
It’s a must. Like revising for exams.
Do the washing up (I know that’s a painful thought, but trust me, it’ll be worth it), fill empty washing up bowl with ice cold water, put bowl under desk, put feet in bowl. Amazingness.
Haha that’s a good one! Although I have a dishwasher 🙂
Ban summer!
That may be going a bit far, writers are powerful but not sure we have that kind of power!
Definitely good call on the ice cream! Worked in Sth France and know some of the perils of writing in the heat. Drink lots of cold water. If indoors, open two opposite Windows to let breeze flow. Unpeel oneself from chair seat regularly. If outdoors, stay in shade and try not to get too distracted by insects. I can’t believe the UK is baking after, what, 5 or 6 years of no proper summer! Stay cool everyone 🙂
Good tips – I would avoid leather chairs as peeling yourself off might remove skin too 🙂 It’s pretty amazing but like good British people we will start moaning about it soon 🙂
I love this Vix! I sat in the lounge yesterday with the fan pointed directly at my face – managed to get laptop on leg burn. Its a jungle out there! 😉
Thanks love! I’m in the lounge with a fan right now but have a cushion to protect from laptop burn – safety first 😉
I don’t use a laptop, so I don’t have to worry about my legs getting too hot. 🙂 I agree about changing the setting of your story — it’s a lot harder to write a winter scene when it’s blazing hot outside!
It’s weird isn’t it, rainy dark days are better for a creepy story and the sunshine makes you want to write about summer romances!
I’ll keep note of these for summer 🙂
I was once reading tips on how to combat a fever and they said that icy poles won’t make you gain weight when you’re very hot – they just burn up! So I ate me 4. ….which is actually how many I’d eat without a fever, actually.
Excellent post 🙂
I’ve never heard of icy poles, Googling seems to show it means what we call an ice lolly! Thanks 🙂
Meltttiiinngggggggg haha! Great tips!
Haha *insert cackle* Thanks!
I’ve gone for the asme topic this week too with the emphasis on enjoying it while it lasts too. Anyway, must dash, just off to the pub!
Hope you enjoyed the pub!
Like you wouldn’t believe!
“Calories don’t count if you’re hot. Fact.”
This is an amazing discovery. I’m going to go with this.
Also if you’re ill or hungover 😉
Reblogged this on Topicalposts.
I’m still trying to figure out if this post is serious or if you’re joking. I never can tell with you crazy Brits. 😉
I’m laughing a lot at this!!!!
That storm last night and the weather today certainly gave me a boost of ideas!
It’s such freaky weather right now!
Love this! My laptop is a couple of years old and slightly temperamental, so I just go with it. When it gets too hot, it just kind of stops working (actually, this is a bit like me!). I’m all for lying in the garden!
Your laptop is definitely telling you to get outside 🙂
Gin, Tonic, Ice and a slice. Nothing else hits the English hot spot quite like it.
Jim
I’d go for Pimms and Lemonade, yum!
I’m definitely going to put my pants in the freezer.
I hope it works out well for you 🙂